Unexpected Life
by poet84
Summary: Finn put Rachel on the train for New York and shipped out to Georgia. When Rachel gets some very big and unexpected news will she be able to tell Finn and stop him from leaving for Iraq?
1. Separation

_Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any other TV show/Movie for that matter. _

_Rachel _

Rachel Berry stared out the window of the train, watching as her once fiancée Finn Hudson disappeared in the distance along with the rest of her glee club family. Fresh tears spilled out over her cheeks and she let herself fall apart. Her heart felt like it had been viciously ripped from her chest. The love of her life had let her go in order to pursue her dreams, but over the last year she had realized that she didn't want her old dreams unless she had Finn there with her.

Now she was on her way to New York, without Finn or Kurt, and it just felt wrong. She cried so much that she finally cried herself to sleep. When she awoke, the train was pulling into New York. Grabbing her bag, she exited onto the platform and looked around. She had wanted this her whole life and now she was in the city of her dreams, but it didn't matter. Her tears were dried and she didn't feel like there was anything left in her.

She wandered through the city taking in the sites, hoping that the excitement she once felt would return. It was a false hope. There was nothing. The city seemed unremarkable to her now. She gave up and took a cab to the apartment that her dads had rented for her. It was a little two bedroom within walking distance of NYADA. They told her that they got her a two bedroom for when they came to visit, but right now it felt like a giant slap in the face not having the two men she really wanted here.

_Finn _

Finn held it together until the train disappeared. Once he realized that she was truly gone he gave in to the pain. His knees buckled and he hung his head in his hands. He wanted nothing more than to go after her, but she needed this. She needed to go to New York and follow her dreams. She needed him to be strong and let her go.

An arm wrapped around his hunched shoulders followed by another. Soon he was surrounded by his glee family who just let him cry without trying to cheer him up. They gave him strength and his tears finally began to slow. One by one, they all began to disappear leaving him and his step-brother on the platform. They walked to Finn's car in silence and without a word Kurt took Finn's keys to drive. He gave a small smile as thanks and reclined in the passenger's seat. The world could swallow him whole right now and he wouldn't care.

They reached the house and Finn trudged up to his room without a word to his parents. He just wanted to be alone right now and they respected that. He collapsed on his bed and closed his eyes, falling into a restless sleep.

_Rachel_

After unpacking her stuff, Rachel was at a loss. She had no idea what to do with herself. She reached for her phone and began punching in Finn's number before stopping herself. Instead, she dialed Kurt, needing to hear a friendly voice. The phone rang several times before her friend's voice came over the line, "Hi Rachel! How is New York? You have to tell me everything!"

His energy made her smile, but it faded quickly, "New York is New York. It hasn't changed I guess. I just finished unpacking, but this apartment is too big and empty."

"How are you doing?" His voice was so full of concern that she thought she would start crying again.

"I'm…here. I don't wanna be, but I am. I wish you were with me at least. I feel so alone right now."

"I wish I was there too, Rachel."

She hesitated for a second before asking what she really wanted to know, "Kurt…how's Finn?"

There was silence for a minute before he answered, "He is trying to be strong. He went to his room and hasn't come out since you left. He's hurting too."

A single tear ran down her cheek, "I'm sorry to hear that. I don't want him to hurt. Please tell him hi for me." She wanted to add that she loved him, but it seemed like too much right now.

"I will," there was another pause and he added, "Rachel? Will you be okay? If you need me to I can take a train up there and stay a couple of days."

She wanted so badly to tell him to come, but she knew that Finn needed him too, "I would like you to visit, but I would rather you look after Finn for me right now. If you don't mind."

She heard Kurt sigh, "I don't mind. I just don't like the idea of you being there alone right now."

"I'll be fine. You know me." She tried to sound as cheerful as possible, but her voice came out sounding fake, even to her.

"I do know you, and you're not fooling anyone." Once again the concern was evident in Kurt's voice.

Rachel sighed and told him the truth, "It hurts Kurt. I feel so empty right now. I walked around New York, hoping to rekindle the feelings that this city used to give me, but nothing. It doesn't feel right to be here without you…or Finn. I feel like there's nothing left."

Kurt's voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears, "Oh my little diva, I'm so sorry. I wish I could make you feel better."

"Just talking to you is enough right now. Knowing that you're keeping an eye on Finn will help too." Rachel's voice broke a little and she took a deep breath. "You will come visit me right?"

"Just try and keep me away. When I do come and visit, you and I are going to a show. Wicked perhaps?"

She smiled, "Sounds like heaven."

"Love you Rachel. We may just share that apartment yet."

Her smile grew, "I would love that. Give everyone my love and I will talk to you tomorrow maybe?"

"Definitely."

_Finn_

He woke up to the sun shining straight into his eyes. He was still dressed in the same clothes he wore to take Rachel to the train station. His body was sore and when he looked in the mirror he noticed that his eyes were bloodshot. He made his way to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. He let the water ease the tension in his muscles, but it couldn't do anything about the pain he felt in his heart.

He had let her go and now he had to live with that choice. She was better off without him and now he needed to find a way to get through his life without her. He had meant what he said when he told her that if they were meant to be that it would happen. He just wasn't so sure that it would happen. She would go to New York and become a big star. She would fall in love with someone who shared her dreams and eventually she would marry them instead of him.

The thought of another man being with Rachel caused him to break down again. At least this time he was able to do so in private. He remained on the shower floor crying until the water turned ice cold and he pulled himself out. He wondered if he would ever really be okay again. He loved Rachel more than anything, and he knew that he did the right thing, but why did it feel so wrong right now?

He got dressed and made his way down stairs. He walked into the kitchen and looked into the fridge. He stood there for several minutes before realizing that he wasn't hungry. He closed the door and turned to see his brother leaning against the counter staring at him. "Morning sleepyhead."

"Morning Kurt," he moved a chair out and sat down at the table, "Where are mom and Burt?"

Kurt joined him, "Your mom is at work and my dad had to get to the tire shop. How are you holding up?"

Finn closed his eyes, "I'm…I don't know."

Kurt fiddled with his hands, "I talked to her last night, while you were asleep."

That got his attention, "How is she? Did she sound okay?"

A shadow crossed Kurt's face, "She's sad and lonely. Not even being in New York can make her happy right now." Kurt watched Finn's face fall and he felt bad for sounding so harsh, "I'm sorry, it's just that she misses you. She told me to tell you hi."

"Anything else?"

Kurt hesitated, "She said to give everyone her love. I think she meant you."

That made Finn smile a little, but it didn't last long. "Thanks bro."

"I was gonna meet Blaine, Mercedes, and Sam at the Coffee Bean if you want to join us. Mercedes leaves in a couple of days and she would probably like to see you. I know you may not be up for that, but I thought I would ask."

Finn looked at his brother. They had definitely come a long way since sophomore year, "Thanks, but I don't wanna bring everyone down. I'll say goodbye to her later."

"Alright, the offer is there if you change your mind."

"Thanks Kurt, for everything."

Kurt put his hand on Finn's shoulder, "That's what I'm here for."


	2. Roommate

_Rachel_

She sat there staring at her salad, not really wanting to eat it. She knew she needed to, but she just wasn't hungry. She jumped out of her seat when her phone rang. Picking it up, she saw a picture of Santana and Brittney looking up at her, "Hello?"

"Hey Berry," Santana's voice cooed.

"Hello Santana. This is certainly a surprise." Of all the people it could have been, she didn't expect Santana.

"Well Hummel told me that you were lonely up there and I had a little proposition for you."

Rachel scrunched her face trying to think of what it could be, "I'm listening."

"Well, I was wondering if you would like some company for a few days. As you know, I'm moving to New York at the end of the summer and I need to find a place to stay. I thought maybe I could stay with you for a little bit while I go apartment hunting. What do you think?"

Rachel smiled, "I would love that Santana! I think I have a better idea though, if you're up for it."

"Lay it on me."

"What if you live here? At least for a little while. You could move into the spare room and help with food and stuff. My dads are taking care of half of the rent so that's all you would need to do. You can save some money while you figure out what you're gonna do. How does that sound?" The thought of having someone familiar around sounded so good to Rachel right then, even if it was Santana.

"I'm down with that. I'm still not sure what I'm gonna do, but this would give me time to figure that out. You sure you're cool with this?"

"It would be nice to have you around. This place is too big for just me." She could hear the sadness in her own voice, but she couldn't help it. She wanted Finn here and she wanted Kurt to live in the spare room, but at least she would have Santana.

Obviously Santana could hear it too, "Look Berry, I know I'm not good with the emotional crap, but you can talk to me if you want."

"I miss him. It will be good for me to have you here I think. It might make it hurt a little less."

"Then it's done. Brit and I will be there Saturday to start moving stuff in if that's okay."

"Sounds perfect."

"See ya then Berry."

"Bye Santana."

_Kurt_

He had told Mercedes and Blaine about his conversation with Rachel and by lunchtime everyone knew. Their little group had expanded when Tina, Mike, Artie, Quinn, Brittany and Santana showed up. He missed Rachel and for some reason it didn't seem the same without her here. Apparently, everyone else felt the same way.

Tina leaned into Mike, "I wish she hadn't left so soon."

Mercedes picked up her latte, "Me too, but do you really think Finn would have been able to let her go if she had?"

"I don't wanna sound mean, but I think he really screwed up this time." Everyone turned to look at Quinn, surprised at what she was saying. "What? I know I was against them getting married, but they really do love each other. What if something happens to him after he leaves for the army? You know how much that would destroy her. He's gonna regret doing this."

Kurt felt like he had to defend his brother, "It was his decision Quinn."

Quinn didn't back down, "Well it should have been **their **decision. He shouldn't have just decided for her."

Kurt sighed, "While I don't necessarily agree with Finn's actions, I have to respect them, and so do all of you."

Santana jumped into the conversation, "Don't worry about the little diva. Snix and I are gonna take care of her."

Kurt was shocked, "What are you talking about?"

She took in the looks everyone was giving her and rolled her eyes, "Look, you said she was lonely so I offered to stay with her for a few days while I look for an apartment and she told me to just live there while I figure out what I'm gonna do, okay? It's not a big deal."

Artie smiled at her, "At least she'll have someone there with her."

"It's really cool you're doing this Santana," Sam added.

She got a little uncomfortable, "Like I said, it's not a big deal."

"For you, it kinda is." Everyone laughed at Mike's comment.

Kurt looked around for a second and realized that Puck wasn't here, "Anyone seen Puck?"

Blaine answered him, "I think he went to see Finn."

_Puck_

He reached the door to Finn's house and rang the bell. He hated waiting for someone to answer the door. He used to just walk in at Finn's old house, but that was different. After several minutes he rang the bell again. He knew that Finn was home, but he obviously didn't want to answer the door. '_Screw this'_ he thought and opened the door.

He climbed the stairs to Finn's room and banged on the door, "Open up dude."

He heard a shuffling and waited for his friend to pull himself together and open the door. "Hey man."

"Hey Puck. What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. I figured you could use a friend right now."

Finn moved back from the door and let his oldest friend in his room. Puck took his usual seat at the foot of the bed, "I know you're probably tired of people asking how you are, so I figured I'd let you tell me what you wanted to do. What do you need right now?"

He watched as Finn's eyes moved to a picture at his bedside. It was a picture of him and Rachel at the senior prom. They looked so happy on that stupid dinosaur. Finn shrugged and sat down on the bed too, "I don't know. I don't feel like doing anything right now."

Puck nodded and his eyes fell on a controller at his feet. He picked it up and showed it to Finn, "How about some mindless violence?"

"I wouldn't be able to focus on it right now man."

This was completely out of Puck's area of expertise. He didn't know how to cheer Finn up. "Have you talked to her?" Finn just shook his head. He continued, "Maybe you should."

"I told her to get on that train, remember? Besides, I'm shipping out to Georgia on Sunday. I think talking to her would only hurt her…and me."

"You're really going through with this whole army thing?" Puck didn't think his friend would actually go through with it.

"Yeah, I can't stay here." He didn't remember the last time he saw Finn so down.

"You don't have to stay here. You could still go to New York."

Finn shook his head, "She needs to live her dreams and she can't do that with me dragging her down."

Puck watched as a tear rolled down his friend's cheek, "You never dragged Rachel down. If you ask me, you were always the one building her up. Just ask her and I bet she'd say the same thing. You were the reason she got into that stupid school. Don't you think you should at least try?"

"It's too late. Even if what you say is true, I already enlisted and I can't take it back now. I leave on Sunday. I haven't told anyone else yet."

"What!? You're leaving on Sunday and you didn't bother to let anyone know?" Now he was pissed. He had to watch his best friend give up the girl he loved and now he was planning on leaving without any notice?

"I was going to tell everyone, but with everything going on with Rachel I didn't feel up to it."

Puck knew his friend was going through a rough time, but running away wasn't the answer. "Dude, you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do. Maybe when I get back I can make it work with Rachel, but right now this is for the best."

Puck knew better than to keep arguing with Finn. His friend was going to go through with this half-cocked plan and nothing he said would change that. Sometimes Finn could be a real idiot.


	3. Goodbyes

_Finn_

Finn knew that Puck had a good reason for being upset. He should have told everyone about leaving on Sunday, but he couldn't take anymore goodbyes. The last two days had been really hard on him, but he knew that it was time. He picked up his phone and sent a mass text to everyone asking them to meet him at Breadsticks for dinner at 7pm.

His phone started going off with all of the replies a few minutes later, everyone was coming. There were the expected questions of 'how r u' but he didn't want to lie to anyone. Going through his contacts, he found Rachel's number and hit send. He waited with his breath held, not sure if he wanted her to answer or not. Finally, she picked up the phone, "Hello?"

_Rachel_

She had just finished cleaning out the last of her boxes from the guest room for Santana. It was good to have some busy work to do. She went to the kitchen and pulled out a cup for water when her phone rang. She picked it up and froze when she saw Finn's picture smiling up at her. She knew that if she didn't answer it soon it would go to voicemail so she steeled herself and answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Rachel, it's me Finn. I guess you knew that."

"Hi. Is everything okay?"

She heard him take a deep breath, "I'm shipping out on Sunday for Georgia. I wanted to call and tell you that because I think you deserve to know from me and not some text message."

She fought to keep her emotions in check, but her voice still broke, "So soon?"

"Yeah, that's when they wanted me there."

She took a few deep breaths before she answered, "Please be careful Finn. We may not be together right now, but I do still love you and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"So how is New York?" She wasn't really sure she liked the change of subject.

"New York is fine," she decided it would be better to be light than honest. "Santana is gonna be my roommate which will be interesting…good…but interesting."

"You're gonna live with Santana? Is that a good idea?" The shock was evident in his voice.

"She asked to stay here for a couple of days, but I convinced her to just stay with me. It will be good for me to have someone familiar around."

"But, Santana?"

She had to laugh at his confusion, "Yes, Santana. She and I really started getting along near the end of school and since we're both new here, it might be good for us to be here together."

He laughed and she smiled. It was good to hear. "I think you're the one that needs to be careful. Santana can be scarier than anything I'll be facing."

It was meant to be light, but it brought her mind back to the real danger that he would be facing. "Don't get yourself killed, alright?"

She heard his sigh, "I won't. I know I have no right to ask this, but would it be okay if I visit you sometime while I'm on leave?"

"I'd like that very much," there was a knock on the door, "I gotta go. I love you."

She realized what she had said a little too late and was about to apologize when he replied, "I love you too, Rachel." There was a click and he was gone.

_Finn_

The phone call to Rachel had gone well, but it made him seriously question his decision. He missed her so much and he wanted nothing more than to jump on the first plane to New York. He decided to focus on something else. He showed up at Breadsticks early so that he could work through what he needed to say to everyone. Saying goodbye to Rachel was hard enough and now he had to say goodbye to the glee club, which had become his family.

He looked up to see his mom, Burt, and Kurt enter the restaurant. They knew he was leaving soon, but he never told them how soon. There was some small talk and the table began to fill with the faces of his friends. When everyone was seated, Finn stood up and addressed them, "I wanted to thank you all for coming. I have some news and I wanted to tell you all at once." He took a deep breath before continuing, "As you all know, I'm going into the army. What you don't know is that I'm leaving on Sunday."

The table got loud very quickly and there were several protests from the group. Finn bowed his head and just let their words sink in before he raised his hand to quiet them, "Look, it wasn't my decision to leave so soon. I got a call and they want me in Georgia next week. I know that many of you don't support my decision to enlist, but I really don't need you guys ragging on me right now. I need your support."

His mom stood up and hugged him close. "You know I love you and will support you no matter what."

"Thanks mom."

Kurt stood up and smiled at Finn, "Well, I supported your hair-brained scheme to get Rachel to go to New York, so I guess I'll support this one too."

"I'm proud of you son. I wish you weren't leaving, but I hope you find what you're looking for."

Finn relaxed as the people he cared about gave him their support. After everything he had been through it was nice to know that so many people cared about him and were there to help him through all of this. "Thank you everyone. I don't know what I would do without you." It was then that he realized Rachel didn't have anyone right now. She was in New York dealing with their breakup and being in a new city all alone. Could he feel like a bigger ass right now?

"Hey, Frankenteen, got a question for ya." He looked over to see Santana and Brittany squeeze in next to him. "Since you're not leavin' until Sunday, how would you feel about helping me move? Kurt and Brittany already volunteered, but I think we could really use a pack mule. What do ya say?"

He quirked an eyebrow, "You want me to help you move into Rachel's apartment?"

She was obviously caught off guard, "How did you know? Did Kurt tell you?"

He shook his head, "Rachel did. I talked to her earlier."

"And?"

"And…I'll help you move. After all of this," he gestured to the gathering, "I realized that she has no one right now. I may not be who she needs to see right now, but I would like to see her before I go."

Santana shared a look with Brittany who scooted away, leaving them to talk. "Look Hudson, I know you're worried about your girl, but I got her back."

"I really appreciate that Santana. I feel better knowing that you'll be with her." He pulled her into a hug and Brittany reappeared.

"I called Rachel. She's okay with you helping us move Santana."

"Did he go for it?" They all turned to see Kurt smiling behind them.

"Yeah, it wasn't that hard to convince him. Just mention Rachel and he's in." They all laughed, and he rolled his eyes. It's not like it wasn't true, but it made him wonder once again if he was doing the right thing.

_Rachel_

When Saturday rolled around Rachel was more nervous and excited than she had ever been. She was going to see Finn which made her stomach knot up. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act around him now. They were technically broken up, but she wasn't sure if she could just pretend to be his friend. There was a knock on the door and she rushed for it without a second thought.

Standing in the hallway was Kurt holding a big box and behind him stood Santana with some bags. "You gonna let us in so I can put this box down and hug you?"

Rachel's face lit up with a smile and she opened the door for her best friend and her roommate, "Where are Brittany and Finn?"

"They're getting stuff out of the truck." Santana looked at her anxious face, "Don't worry he'll be in soon."

Rachel blushed and looked away when she was pulled into a crushing hug by Kurt, "I get the first hug."

Rachel laughed and it felt really good. There was a sound behind her and she turned to see Brittany walking through the door, "Hi Brit!"

"Hey Rachel. Lord Tubbington said to tell you hi."

Rachel smiled at her spacey friend, "Well tell him hello for me." She exchanged hugs with Santana and Brittany.

She turned when she heard Kurt, "Oh, Finn! I'll get some of those." In the hall was Finn with boxes piled up past his head and a duffle bag slung over his back.

"Thanks Kurt." Rachel's breath caught when she saw him. She wanted to knock the boxes out of his arms and take their place, but she waited rather impatiently for him to set them down instead. He turned to her and smiled, "Hey Rachel."

She didn't think she could speak without crying so she just ran into his arms and hugged him close. When she felt slightly more in control she whispered, "I missed you so much."

She felt his hand caress her hair, "I missed you too."

They broke apart and she offered to help with the rest of the boxes, but there weren't any. "So how long are you guys staying?" She could hear the hope in her voice, but it didn't stop her from asking.

Finn answered, "I can only stay for an hour. I have to get back and finish packing." Her face fell slightly, but she got it under control.

"Brit and I are gonna stay the rest of the weekend and take the train back on Monday if that's okay with you?"

She hugged her friend close, "That would be more than okay with me." She looked around, "Are you guys hungry?" They nodded and Rachel took them for food at the restaurant on the corner. After they ate, Rachel prepared to say goodbye to Finn again.

She started back toward the apartment when Finn stopped. "I'm gonna say goodbye here. I need to get back to Lima." He gave Kurt, Santana, and Brittany hugs. Rachel stepped forward for her hug, but instead of embracing her he grabbed her hand in his, "Will you stay back for a minute Rachel?"

She nodded, "Of Course." Their friends walked off leaving the two of them alone in the street.

"I just wanted to spend a few minutes alone with you. I hope that's okay." He smiled shyly at her.

She felt her face flush as she replied, "It's okay."

They started walking with no real place to go, "I'm sorry about everything Rachel. I've really missed you this last week."

She squeezed his hand between hers and looked up into his eyes, "I've missed you too. I know why you did it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. I just wanted to share my dreams with you. I still do."

He stopped and brushed a lock of hair from her cheek, "You don't know how much I wish I could stay here with you, but I have to go. I want you to be happy Rachel, no matter what that means."

She looked him straight in the eyes and answered him in a determined voice, "I'm not going to move on. I refuse to. I love you and I don't care if I'm here and you're not, I'm not letting you go."

Finn sighed and placed his forehead to hers, "I love you too Rachel, but I don't wanna hold you back."

She grabbed his chin and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. When she released she held his gaze with hers, "You have never held me back Finn Hudson. You give me strength. You made me realize what my dreams were…"

He scoffed, "You've always known you were going to be on Broadway."

She shook her head, "No. I still want to be on Broadway, don't get me wrong, but it is only a fraction of my dreams now. I want to marry you. I want to start a family with you. I won't move on because there is nobody that will ever be as good for me as you are."

She watched as his eyes lit up and he pulled her close. His lips connected with hers and she allowed herself to melt in his embrace. They stood there ignoring the rest of the world for several minutes before pulling away. "I'm coming back for you."

She smiled, "You better."

They walked to Finn's truck and she waved as she watched him pull away. She may not have him right now, but she would have him again.


	4. Being Sick Sucks

_**I want to thank those of you who have reviewed, favorited, and are following the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will try to keep the updates coming fairly quickly. No guarantees though.**_

_Santana_

She thought she would regret rooming with Rachel, but she had to admit, even if it was only to herself, that Rachel wasn't as bad a roommate as she thought she would be. In a month and a half of living together they only fought a handful of times. The little hobbit was actually standing up for herself more, and Santana couldn't be more proud. The worst thing that has happened is the fact that they are both taking turns being sick right now. Rachel seemed to get sick at night, but she would feel better the next day. She on the other hand would be throwing up for two days straight and then would be okay for a couple of days before she would get it again.

"Can someone just kill me," she whined as she lay on the couch.

Rachel plopped down on the recliner, "I won't kill you Santana, but if this doesn't go away before I start school in two weeks I will be extremely upset!"

"Ugh, how am I supposed to get a job or figure out what I wanna do if I'm stuck on this stupid couch?" Her stomach started to turn again, but nothing came out.

Rachel got up and she heard a rattling noise, "What're you doing hobbit?"

"Vitamins. We need to build up our immune systems or we will never get over this." Rachel returned to her chair with several pills in her hand and two glasses of water, "Here, take these."

Santana groaned and took the pills from her friend's hand. She choked them down and followed them with a drink of water, "I hate pills."

"Do you hate them more than being sick?"

She rolled her eyes at her diminutive friend, "No."

The next day she was feeling better. She wasn't going to get too excited. She thought she had gotten over it before just to find out she was wrong. She knocked on Rachel's door. The little diva was usually up already, "Rachel? You okay?"

She started to get worried when there was no answer. She was about to open the door and check on her when the front door opened. She turned to see Rachel carrying several grocery bags. It was pretty funny considering the girl was so tiny that she looked like she would topple at any moment. "Can you stop smirking and help me please?"

Santana grabbed a few of the bags, easing the burden on the petite woman, "Happy?"

"Extremely."

Rachel unpacked the bags while Santana put everything away. When they finished, she saw Rachel looking around with her face all scrunched up in confusion, "What's up? You look lost."

Rachel looked at her as if that might just be the case, "I don't know why, but I feel like I'm missing something."

"Did you grab all the bags?" She pulled out a chair and sat at the table.

"Yeah, I did." She still had that look on her face as she sat down.

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you're not just missing Finn?"

Rachel's face fell slightly, "Maybe. They might be sending him to Iraq next week."

Santana sat up at this news, "What!? So soon?"

"That's when he will be done with boot camp and they need people over there right now." Tears began to form in her eyes and Santana awkwardly patted her shoulder. She wasn't very good at comforting crying people. She was better at making them cry. "It'll be okay. He'll be fine."

"Damn right he will. Nothin' is gonna stop that boy from coming back to you." She was happy to see a small smile form on Rachel's face.

"I hope you're right."

"You better believe I'm right. That boy is so in love with you it's sickening. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with his dopey looks on a daily basis."

A short laugh escaped from Rachel and Santana joined her, "I don't think Finn is dopey. I think he's adorable!"

"Ugh, yeah you might wanna stop talking about Finn like that unless you want me to hurl all over you." They shared another laugh.

_Rachel_

After her talk with Santana, Rachel decided to call Kurt. She had talked to him at least every other day since they left. It wasn't as good as having him here to share New York with her, but at least she still got to hear his voice. Finn wasn't able to make too many phone calls, so she got a lot of her information from Kurt.

"Hello Barbra! How is my favorite little diva?"

"I'm…better. Santana and I have been extremely sick the last week and today is the first day that either one of us has felt okay in a while."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I knew you sounded off the last time we talked, why didn't you tell me?" She could imagine the concerned look that his face held.

"It was nothing to worry you about. I…" She heard a frustrated growl coming from the other room, "Hang on a second Kurt, I think something is wrong with Santana." Her door opened and there was her Latina friend with a scowl on her face.

"As if this week wasn't bad enough, I had to start my period! Do you have any tampons that I can have?"

Rachel giggled, "Yeah, there are some…" she froze. She hasn't had her period since she got here. That was almost two months ago.

_Santana_

"Rachel? Rachel? What's wrong?" She was starting to get worried about her friend. She could hear Kurt's voice over the phone calling to the frozen girl. When she realized that Rachel wasn't going to answer either of them, she grabbed the phone, "Kurt?"

"Santana? What's going on? Is Rachel okay?" His voice was a few octaves higher than normal.

"I don't know what's up. She just froze." She watched as Rachel slowly got up and moved to the bathroom. She emerged seconds later with a box of tampons in her hands. "Rachel are you okay?"

"I haven't used these."

Santana took the box. She was still a little worried, "Did you just get them cause I can hit ya back."

Santana saw the fear in Rachel's eyes as she uttered, "No. I haven't used them since I moved here."

"Okay?" She was getting confused and wondered why Rachel was so freaked out over a box of tampons.

"That was almost two months ago."

There was a click in Santana's brain as she realized what Rachel was saying, "Oh…well…shit."

Kurt and Rachel both screamed, "Santana!"

Rachel was angry as she said, "Don't use language like that!"

Kurt was frustrated as he said, "Will you please tell me what's going on?"

"Kurt, we gotta let you go. Rachel and I got a test to go take. We'll call you later." Before he could protest, she hung up the phone.

_Rachel_

She sat there with her head on Santana's shoulder waiting for the pregnancy test results. She wasn't sure how she felt right now. She was excited that she would be having Finn's baby, but she was scared that she would probably be raising it on her own. She was terrified of what her fathers and Finn's parent would say. They weren't super thrilled with Rachel and Finn getting engaged, how were they going to feel about this!?

She was grateful for Santana right then. She didn't make any snide comments and she didn't make any inappropriate jokes, she just sat there and held her. It gave her comfort and allowed her to remain calm. After 3 minutes Rachel reached for the test with a shaky hand. She almost dropped the little white stick, but luckily she was able to catch it.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at the results. In the giant circle was a plus sign. Did that mean she was pregnant? She looked at the box in shock, yep. Santana finally spoke, breaking the tension, "Congrats Berry, you're gonna be a mom."

**Question-In time or Not?-I'll leave that up to you. Let me know what you want and if you're confused it's okay.**


	5. Surprise

_Rachel_

She was too shocked to cry. She didn't even know if she wanted to cry. Her eyes remained glued to the pregnancy test in her hand and nothing could tear her eyes away from it. Santana remained by her side, trying to comfort her the best she could, but it wasn't much. She needed Kurt to be the annoying voice of reason. When she considered getting a nose job, it was him that knew exactly what she needed. The Barbra-vention helped her to see how foolish she was being. She needed Finn here to hold her and support her.

Rachel sat up and nearly slammed her head into Santana's nose, "Finn!"

Santana stood up and stretched, "What about him Berry?"

She stood and began pacing the bathroom, "How am I going to tell him? I don't know how to get a hold of him! He usually calls me from the base phone and the last time I talked to him he said that he might not be able to call me before he leaves, that he would write me when he got to Iraq so that I would have a way to contact him! What am I going to do?" Rachel sat down on the toilet and hung her head in her hands to cry.

Santana opened the door and left. When she returned she had a phone to her ear, "Look you little fairy, I'm not good with all the crying crap! Berry's got a problem and she needs you, like now!" When Rachel looked up to face Santana she was reminded of the Cheerio who used to make fun of her and do everything in her power to make her cry. The only difference now, was the fact that Santana was no longer trying to hurt Rachel, she was trying to help her. She couldn't help herself; she rushed to her fiery friend and hugged her. "You might wanna hurry; I think she's losing it."

_Kurt_

It had freaked Kurt out when Santana hung up on him, but it only got worse when she called back and yelled at him to come to New York. He figured Rachel was upset over Finn going to Iraq, so here he was on the first flight to New York. It was hard enough on him when he found out that Finn was being shipped out; he couldn't imagine how Rachel was feeling right now.

When his flight landed, he caught a cab to the apartment that he, Finn, and Rachel were supposed to share together. Walking up the stairs to Rachel's apartment, he felt sad. He should be here, not Santana. He didn't have a problem with the fiery Latina, but it was his dream to be here. He raised his hand and knocked on their door, waiting rather impatiently for someone to answer.

"It's about damn time Kurt!" Santana grabbed him by his jacket and yanked him inside.

"Could you refrain from ruining my outfit? It took me forever to get it just right."

She rolled her eyes, "I don't care about your outfit Hummel! I just want you to go fix Rachel! I got her to stop crying, but I don't know how long that'll last."

He glanced around the apartment, "Where is she?"

Santana pointed to Rachel's room and walked off toward the kitchen. Taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on his face, Kurt entered and found Rachel curled up like a ball on her bed, "Hey there my little diva! Miss me?"

When she looked at him, his fake smile faded, "Oh Kurt!" She ran into his arms and started crying again.

"It's okay Rach. I'm here." He started rubbing her back.

Her breath was hot against his neck and he could feel her tears on his shoulder, "It's not okay! I need to talk to him!"

He knew exactly who she was talking about, "Finn said that he would try and call before he leaves. I'm scared for him too, but there's nothing we can do about it."

She loosened her grip and moved far enough away to look into his eyes without breaking the hug. She looked so vulnerable when she opened her mouth to speak, "I'm pregnant Kurt. I have to tell Finn before he runs off."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Are you sure?" She released him from the hug and walked into the bathroom leaving him looking perplexed. When she emerged she held a little white pregnancy test. Without a word she handed it to him. There was a plus sign peeking up at him from the object in his hand, "You know, these things aren't always right," he fought to control the panic in his voice, "there's a chance that you're not pregnant."

He looked into her eyes and saw that he had hurt her with his words. Before he could smooth things over she said, "I haven't had a period since I got here almost two months ago Kurt."

His eyes fell back down to the test in his hands and he smiled, "So, I'm going to be an uncle?"

The laugh that passed through Rachel's lips sounded relieved and hysterical at the same time. She didn't even reply to his questions, just wrapped her arms around her best friend and laughed. He didn't know why, but he began to laugh with her. Santana walked in with a corndog in her mouth, "What's so funny?" They both looked at the confused girl and continued to laugh. Santana slowly started backing out of the room, "Didn't know crazy was contagious."

_Rachel_

They sat on the couch watching 'Pretty in Pink' with a large bowl of popcorn between them and it felt so right. They only thing that was missing was Finn. Thinking of him made her drop a hand to her belly where their child was growing. She felt Kurt's arm wind around her shoulders and she smiled up at him, "You know, I've never been a big Molly Ringwald fan, but I can relate to her character in this movie."

Santana snorted, "How is that?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "It's just that she was the outcast who fell in love with the rich popular guy. It never seemed real to her that he could like her back, but he did. I guess it just reminds me of Finn and I."

Santana made a gagging noise and stuck her finger in her mouth. Rachel laughed, but it was cut short by the look on Kurt's face, "What's wrong Kurt?"

"What are you gonna do about the baby Rachel?"

She looked at him confused for a minute before she started to get fearful of where this conversation was going to lead, "What do you mean?"

"You're supposed to start school at NYADA in a couple of weeks. How are you going to do that if you're pregnant? Also, Finn isn't here. Do you really wanna raise this baby on your own?"

"What are you suggesting Kurt?"

He took hands in his, "Well, you said before that you were going to defer your acceptance for a year so that we could all come to New York together. What about doing that now? I could move in with you guys and help out and next year we can apply to school together."

The relief that Rachel felt in that moment was extraordinary. She felt a little guilty about assuming Kurt would want her to get rid of her baby. She pulled him into a big hug and felt the familiar tears rolling down her cheeks, "I love you so much Kurt!" She pulled away and looked into his eyes, "I haven't had time to really think about anything today, but that sounds so wonderful to me."

Santana cleared her throat, "Look around chica, where are we supposed to put him?"

"He can stay in my room for now and we will look for a bigger place later. I don't care Santana! I just want him to stay!"

Kurt turned to Santana and began to pout, "What's wrong San? Don't want me around?"

Rachel watched as Santana rolled her eyes, obviously giving in, "Fine, but I have to deal with enough craziness from the hobbit, I don't need any more from you!"

"If you can deal with her for this long, then I'll be a breeze." Rachel playfully slapped his arm and they all relaxed on the couch to finish their movie and eventually fell asleep. A phone ringing woke Rachel up, but she didn't feel like answering it so it went straight to voicemail and she fell back to sleep.

_Finn_

The phone rang six times before finally going to voicemail. He didn't want to talk to a machine, but he wouldn't be able to call again before he left. He smiled when he heard her voice. It may have just been her voicemail message, but it was still her. There was a beep and he left a message:

_I was hoping I could talk to you and not your machine, but I guess you're asleep…or out. They decided to send us out a couple of days early so I won't be able to talk for a little while. I promise I will write to you as soon as possible. It will be the best way for us to communicate. Anyways, I love you and I will hopefully hear from you soon…Oh and Rachel, I plan on keeping my promise._


	6. The Truth Comes Out

_**I just wanted to thank those who have reviewed, Fav'd, and are following this story. Here is the next chapter and it's kinda long. I hope you like it and if you don't that's okay too.**_

_Rachel_

The sound of Kurt's voice woke her. He was frantic as he yelled, "Rachel! Wake up!"

She groaned and turned to face her best friend, "What is it Kurt?"

"Finn's gone!"

She bolted upright and nearly head butted Kurt in the process, "What do you mean he's gone!?"

"I just talked to Carole. She said that Finn called her last night because he couldn't get a hold of you. They shipped out early this morning and he wanted to say goodbye."

Rachel rushed to the counter and grabbed her phone. There was one missed call and it was from Finn. She dialed her voicemail to listen to the message and cursed herself for being too lazy to wake up and answer the stupid phone last night. His voice came over the speaker and it made her smile to hear it, "_I was hoping I could talk to you and not your machine, but I guess you're asleep…or out. They decided to send us out a couple of days early so I won't be able to talk for a little while. I promise I will write to you as soon as possible. It will be the best way for us to communicate. Anyways, I love you and I will hopefully hear from you soon…Oh and Rachel, I plan on keeping my promise."_

Rachel replayed the message several times before finally hanging up the phone. Kurt was standing behind her waiting to comfort her if she needed it. When she turned around she had tears in her eyes, "I heard the phone ring last night and I didn't answer it. I missed his call and it might be the last time I get to talk to him."

Kurt pulled her into a hug, "Don't be so overdramatic Rachel. You'll talk to him again."

"Will I?" she said, not really directing it at anyone.

A few minutes later a sleepy voice called from the couch, "What'd I miss?"

_Kurt_

He watched Rachel as she packed a small overnight bag. After finding out that Finn was gone, Rachel insisted they go to Lima and talk with their parents. She had wanted to discuss it with Finn first, but since that was impossible at the moment, she insisted that Kurt return to Lima with her because she couldn't tell them on her own.

Kurt sighed. Ever since he informed her of Finn leaving, she has slowly retreated further into herself. She wasn't exactly happy when he first showed up, but she still had that Rachel Berry spark. Now, there was nothing left in her eyes. They were cold and emotionless. Santana joined him by the door. She nudged his arm and indicated Rachel with her head as if to say 'She any better?' He shook his head and continued to watch his friend go through the routine of packing and Santana went to answer her phone.

She returned a minute later to say, "Cab's here. Let's get goin'."

Kurt followed the two women outside and into the cab. His eyes fell on Santana, who was sitting with her arm draped around Rachel's shoulders. It surprised him at first, but then he realized that Santana wasn't being nearly as mean as she usually is. He went over the last two days in his head, looking for any clues as to what had possibly changed the fierce ex-Cheerio. The only conclusion he could come to was Rachel.

_Carole Hudson_

Several hours after informing Kurt of Finn's leaving and him hanging up on her, she received a call from Rachel saying that they were coming back to Lima tonight and that she wanted to have dinner with Carole, Burt, and her dads. Carole agreed immediately saying that it would be a pleasure. She loved Rachel and still considered her to be a daughter, even though they never went through with getting married.

It was obvious that Rachel was upset about Finn's leaving and Carole couldn't blame her. She was rather upset too. Having Rachel around would be good for both of them. Burt was wonderful and comforted her after she got off the phone with Finn, but as much as he worried about Finn it was nothing compared to the way her and Rachel felt.

The Berry's were picking Kurt and the girls up from the airport. She was a little surprised that Santana was going to join them for dinner because the girl was rather rude, but Rachel and Santana both insisted that she come. She made pasta for dinner with Alfredo sauce and on the side she made a vegan topping with butternut squash, sage, and pine nuts for Rachel. She also prepared a large salad and sliced some fruit.

Dinner was nearly ready when the door opened. In came Kurt followed by Santana, Rachel and her dads. Carole was about to open her mouth to speak, but her eyes stopped on Rachel and her stomach dropped. Rachel's eyes looked almost dead until she locked eyes with Carole.

_Rachel_

She felt so numb. Finn was gone. She was pregnant. Now she was about to tell her dads, Carole, and Burt that she was pregnant. She felt completely empty and alone. When they finally walked into Kurt's house, Burt seemed a little too cheery to her. Why wasn't he more upset that Finn was gone? It wasn't until she looked into Carole's eyes that she realized she wasn't alone. She saw the same pain and heartache in Carole that she felt herself.

She rushed to the woman who was going to be her mother-in-law and wrapped her arms around Carole's waist. They held each other and they both began to cry. There were no words that needed to be spoken because they both knew what the other was feeling. It wasn't the first time Carole had to go through this. She had been in Rachel's shoes when Finn was born. She had to watch as his dad went off to war without knowing if he would come home and now she had to go through it again with Finn.

Rachel knew that her friends and her dads loved and supported her, but Carole was the only one that truly understood how she felt. They remained in each other's arms until their tears subsided. Rachel smiled up at the woman and they proceeded into the kitchen.

_Carole_

She was about to clear the plate from dinner when Rachel stopped her, "Can you wait a few minutes to do that. I have something very important to tell you all." She nodded and sat back down.

When she didn't continue, Hiram smiled encouragingly at his daughter, "What did you need to tell us baby girl?"

She watched as Rachel's eyes closed and she took a deep breath. Whatever she had to say must have been important. Rachel stood up and Carole noticed that she was holding hands with Santana and Kurt. "I'm pregnant."

There were several gasps heard from around the table from the men, but all she could think was déjà vu. She had been pregnant with Finn when his father joined the army. She had given birth to her son while his father was away. Finn had only been around his father when he was a few months old, before the drugs took hold and killed him. She heard as the men started lashing out about NYADA and her being too young and Rachel seemed to fall apart under their screams. She couldn't let that happen.

"Everyone be QUIET!" They all looked at her in shock and sat down. She turned to Rachel and calmly asked, "Does Finn know?"

She shook her head sadly and her voice came out as a whisper, "I was going to talk to him when he called me, but I was asleep and didn't get up to answer the phone. I didn't think he would be gone right now."

She contemplated that for a moment, "Finn told me that we wouldn't be able to reach him by phone and that he would write us as soon as he could with an address that we can reach him at. I want you to write a letter and have it ready that way we can send it off as soon as we have an address. Have you thought about what you are going to do about school?"

Rachel's voice came out a little stronger than before, "Yes, Kurt suggested that I defer my acceptance for a year."

"Do you understand what that will mean for you Rachel? It will be that much harder for you…"

"She is a very talented young woman, and if she got in the first time then she can get in again so enough of your interruptions Mr. Berry or I will ask that you leave." Carole turned her attention back to Rachel, "Please continue."

She glanced at her dads before continuing, "Kurt offered to move to New York and help me with everything. He is going to stay in my room since it's bigger and we can fit another bed in there without too much trouble."

"Finn is my brother and Rachel is my best friend. Since Finn can't be here right now, I'm going to help her through this." Kurt added.

"I am too. Berry's my girl and I'm not gonna let her go at this alone." Santana put her arm around Rachel's shoulders and Carole saw her give Santana a thankful smile.

Carole smiled, glad that Rachel had such good friends and that Kurt was willing to step up and help Rachel since Finn was away, "I think that is a good plan."

Hiram shook his head, "I don't know how you could let this happen, Rachel. You had big dreams and I can't believe that you would give that up."

Rachel seemed to have gained strength from her friends support and Carole's words, "I'm not giving anything up. I am simply adding to my dreams. If you don't like that then," she took another deep breath, "you don't have to be a part of it. I love Finn and I will love this baby. I love you and I hope you can learn to support me and my growing family."

"What will you do if Finn doesn't want this child?" her father asked her.

Carole was about to explode, but Rachel beat her to it, "Finn would never abandon his child willingly! He loves me and he will love our child! And if by some miniscule chance he doesn't want this baby then I will do it on my own, but that will never happen."

Leroy stood up and walked to his daughter, "I do not agree with the situation, but I will respect your choice. You are a grown woman and have always made your own path. I love you honey."

"I love you too."

Burt sighed, "I'm with Leroy. I don't like this very much, but I can't change it. You need us and I'm not going to turn my back on you, Finn, or my grandchild."

Carole looked to Hiram who was staring at Burt in shock. She wasn't sure what it was that Burt said but Hiram stood up and embraced Rachel, "I'm sorry sweetie! I wasn't thinking of anything other than the dreams you have worked so hard for. I love you so much and I only want the best for you. I didn't realize until now that I'm going to be a grandfather. I promise I will love this baby as much as I love you."

Rachel was crying again. It was just beginning to hit Carole that she would be a grandmother. She was a little too young to be a grandmother, but she didn't care. She was going to spoil this child rotten. A wide smile spread across her face as she looked around at her family. Kurt, Santana, and Burt were talking about moving Kurt's things to New York and Hiram, Leroy, and Rachel were huddled together crying. Burt turned his head toward her and gave her a beaming smile. They finished their evening with laughter and all the drama from their dinner was forgotten.


	7. Dear Finn

_**Sorry it took so long for an update. I was on vacation in Cali. This chapter is a little short and I'm sorry, but I hope you like it.**_

_Rachel_

After her dinner with her family she sat down to write the letter she wanted to send Finn. She wasn't sure how to even begin and finally decided on Dear Finn. She stared at the page hoping that her thoughts and feelings would magically appear, but no luck. She was so scared to write it all down that her hand was shaking. She didn't understand why she was so nervous to tell Finn about the baby, but the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't stop banging around and she finally had to run to the bathroom and throw up.

When she returned to her room she walked right past her desk and straight to her bed. Maybe a good night's sleep would help her. Unfortunately, her mind wouldn't allow her to rest. Her dreams were filled with pain and anger. She dreamt that she told Finn and he told her that he didn't want her or the child. Another involved Finn dying in Iraq without ever knowing that he was going to be a father. She awoke crying and gave up trying to go back to sleep.

She made her way down to the kitchen. Kurt stayed at his house so that he could pack and Santana had left to hang out with Brittany. She was feeling sad and lonely right now, but she didn't want to bother her friends. They had all been so great to her already and she didn't want to push it any further. Instead, she filled a kettle with water and made herself some sleepy time tea that she reserved for nights that she couldn't sleep due to the excitement of an upcoming performance. When she had finished, she climbed the stairs to her room and slid under her covers. After several minutes she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

_Carole_

_There was a faint cry coming from Finn's nursery. She pulled herself out of bed to grab her baby boy and started singing him a lullaby. His eyes slowly started to close again when the phone rang and his voice cried out again. She yanked the phone off the holder by her bed and said, "Hello?" She knew that her voice was a little harsh, but it was 2:26 am! _

_A no nonsense voice came through the speaker, "May I speak with Mrs. Hudson?" _

_The fog that had been clouding her brain started to clear. Christopher popped into her head and fear crept into her mind, "This is Mrs. Hudson."_

_"Mrs. Hudson, my name is Colonel Striker. I have some unfortunate news to report. Your husband, Christopher Hudson, was found dead of a drug overdose this evening." _

_Silent tears began to slide down her cheeks as she tried to hold herself together, "Where is he? Can I see him?"_

_"He is currently being transported to the Lima medical facility. His body should arrive around 06:00. You can pick up his personal belongings from Lieutenant Stark who will be traveling with the body. I am sorry for your loss ma'am." _

_"Thank you." She dropped the phone and looked into the face of her little boy. Seven months old and he has already lost his father. One of her tears fell onto his face, causing his eyes to meet hers. He giggled and stretched his arms up toward her face. She could see Christopher in him and it made her heart break a little inside. She knew that Christopher had been discharged for drug use and she had been expecting something like this, but she had hoped to be wrong. _

_Finn's tiny fingers touched her cheek and he smiled at her. She choked back the sobs that threatened to escape and buried her face into his small frame. His hands wove into her hair, almost as if he were holding her. She sat down and cried, holding her son close until she had cried herself out and fell asleep with Finn in her bed. _

Carole opened her eyes and looked around the bedroom she shared with Burt. She listened to his soft snoring and it helped to calm her nerves. She didn't want anything to happen to her son. He had lost his father because of the Army (she truly believed that the Army had caused him to start doing drugs) and she didn't want her grandchild to go through the same heartbreak.

She reached into her night stand and grabbed a note pad and a pen. She was going to write Finn a letter. She wasn't sure what she would write at the moment, but she needed to say something.

_Dear Finn,_

_I am missing you like crazy right now and I feel like it is my fault that you joined the Army. I have something to say and I know that it is a little late, but you need to hear it. I'm sorry that I lied to you about your father all these years. I thought that I was protecting you, but I realize that I was wrong. You deserved to know the truth. _

_I didn't agree with your decision to join the Army. I know that every day you are gone I will be worried sick. I wish that I had stopped you, but you are an adult now and can make your own decisions. All I ask is that you come home safe and sound. Your father wasn't strong enough to face the pressures of war, but I know that you have strength that he didn't. _

_Rachel came to the house for dinner tonight. We had a very interesting talk and I'm glad that she came. She needs you son. She needs you to come home and she needs your support. She truly loves you and I know you feel the same way. We don't want to lose you honey so keep your head down and don't try to be the hero. _

_Love,_

_Mom_

_Rachel_

"I don't know what to say." Rachel hung her head in her hands.

Kurt rubbed circles on her back, "Just tell him the truth. Don't sugar coat it."

"What do you want me to say? Hey Finn. Guess what, I'm pregnant! I know you put me on that train to New York so that I could follow my dreams, but I'm putting them off for a year so that I can focus on our baby. Oh yeah, your brother is moving in with me to help me raise your child."

Kurt laughed and she soon followed suit, "That was good, but I think you might want to tone it down a little."

"I'm scared Kurt. What if he doesn't want anything to do with our child like my father said?"

"That won't happen Rach. Finn loves you and he is going to love this child."

She hugged her friend, "Thanks Kurt. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Well luckily you won't have to find that out." They laughed again.

"Time to get to work." She sat back down at her desk. Kurt went to leave, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm, "Please stay. I might need your help." He nodded and sat down on the edge of her bed nearest her while she began writing her letter to Finn.


	8. Confessions

_**I'm not sure how much I like this chapter. I might change it later, but for now this is it.**_

_Finn_

He had promised to write his mother and Rachel as soon as he arrived, but it was so hectic around here that he didn't have the time. He had arrived last week and from the time he stepped off the plane it was like he was going non-stop. It wasn't like he was complaining, he loved it. He felt like he was actually doing something worthwhile.

The guys in his unit were pretty cool. Some of them reminded him of his friends back home which was nice. One guy in particular reminded him of Puck. He was crude, obnoxious, and a total player. There wasn't a girl on base that he hadn't hit on and he had already slept with several of them. The familiarity was nice because it made him miss home a little less, but there were two things that nothing would fill the void for, Rachel and his mom.

When he finally had some time, he sat down and pulled out a notebook and pen. He was never really good with words, but writing was the only real communication he would have with his friends and family back home. He thought about what he wanted to say for a few minutes before finally putting pen to paper.

_Dear Mom,_

_I'm sorry I didn't write sooner, but this is the first chance I've had to really sit down. You would not believe how hot it is here! You get used to it I guess, but I miss Ohio. I've met some really cool guys. They've really helped me fit in which is great. I miss you guys. It's a little weird being on my own. Okay, so I'm not really on my own, I'm with a bunch of other dudes, but you know what I mean. _

_Anyways, we're heading out the day after tomorrow to help secure a village. I'm gonna be walking through the dessert with fifty pounds of gear on my back, which will suck, but it's a pretty awesome workout. I can't pronounce the name of the town we're going to, but then again I can't pronounce the name of most stuff here. _

_Well, that's all I have to report for now. I love you guys and tell everyone I said hi. I will try to write again soon. _

_Love, _

_Finn_

He read through his letter to his mother and nodded. It wasn't much, but then again he didn't have much to say. She would probably just be happy with the fact that she got a letter at all. He wasn't exactly known for his writing skills. He folded up the paper and placed it into an envelope. Now it was time for his next letter. This one might be a little harder.

_My dearest Rachel,_

_I've been thinking a lot about the last time I saw you. You made me so happy that day. I never wanted to leave you, but I just love you so much and I want the best for you. I've been dreaming of our future together ever since you told me you wanted to marry me and have children. I want the same things, but it will have to wait until I come home. _

_I was listening to a song the other day that reminded me of us. It was called "I Swear This Time I Mean It" by Mayday Parade. I've never really felt like I was good enough for you Rach. I always thought that you deserved better, and when I didn't get my football scholarship or get into that acting school it made that feeling worse. _

_I don't want to lose you and I am going to do everything in my power to make things work between us. I know you said that you would wait, but I also know that things can change. I will never blame you if you chose someone else to share your life with. You deserve the best Rachel and I want to be that for you. I miss you so much and I love you more than you will ever truly know. I will make myself a man worthy of you. _

_Yours Always,_

_Finn_

After re-reading his letter to Rachel he considered throwing it out. It seemed so weak to admit that he didn't think he was good enough, but it was the truth. Rachel was so talented, and had all these big dreams for her life. She was the one that inspired him to do better and try for his dreams. When they didn't work out he was devastated. He felt like Rachel's faith in him was misplaced.

He was tired of letting people down and feeling like a failure. His whole life he had felt that way. Glee was the first time that he didn't feel like a failure. He was good at something and it had brought him the love of his life. Now, being in Iraq, he felt like he was finally becoming a man. He had a long way to go, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to be the man Rachel deserves.

He lay down on his bed with his arm curled under his head and thought about Rachel. Lately, his thoughts have been leading him back to their almost wedding. She had looked so beautiful in her white dress. He imagined what it would be like to see her walking down an aisle with their friends and family flanking her, her million watt smile beaming at him from behind a veil. It was this dream that had him falling asleep with a huge smile on his face.

Nearly two weeks later Finn received a letter from his mom. He would have cried if it weren't for the fact that he was surrounded by the rest of the guys from his unit. He never wanted his mom to feel guilty or to worry about him. Next to Rachel, she was the greatest person in the world. He was a little curious as to why Rachel would need his support. His question was answered a few days later when he received a letter from her.

_Dear Finn,_

_I love you. Before I said anything else I wanted you to know that and have it fresh in your mind. I have some news for you and it's good. At least I think it's good. My dad's and Burt weren't too thrilled with it at first, but your mom seemed to think it was good. It involves me deferring my acceptance to NYADA, which I know you were trying to avoid, but it's something that needs to be done. _

_I'm pregnant Finn. I was hoping to tell you sooner, but you left before I could talk to you. I know we didn't plan for this, but it happened and I couldn't be happier that it did. Kurt has offered to move to New York and help me with everything, so he's going to move into my room in the apartment until we can hopefully find a bigger place. I hope that's okay with you. He's your brother and he said that he wanted to be here for me since you can't. _

_I know you may be worried about my dreams, but I'm not going to give them up. I am simply changing them a little. This is what I have wanted ever since I met you. I want to have a family with you and I want you forever, but if you aren't ready for this I will understand. I truly believe in my heart that you will be excited, but I have also been told to prepare for the worst. I love you Finn and I can't wait to hear from you. _

_Love You Always, _

_Rachel_

_P.S. I just got your letter today and luckily I read it before I sent this out. I'm glad that you are thinking about us having a family, because we are. It makes me feel so much better about all of this and you can forget all of the negative things I said. I can't wait until I can see you again. By the way, do you have any clues as to when that will be?_


	9. Letters

_**I wanted to thank you all again for your support. Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**_

_Finn_

He had been sitting in the same spot for two hours, re-reading her letter. She was pregnant. He was going to be a father. When the shock wore off, the worry set in. He couldn't be a father! He was committed to the Army for the next two years! He would miss his child's first steps, their first word, and all of the other milestones that he should be there for. He thought about his own father who missed his entire life. How was he going to do this?

After he vented all of his worry the happiness set in. He was going to be a father! He had always been good with kids, probably because he was a big kid himself, but now he was going to have one of his own. If it was a boy, he would be able to play sports with him, teach him how to play the drums, and teach him how to treat a woman. If it was a girl, he would spoil her and he knew it. If she looked like Rachel he would have to keep a baseball bat handy to chase away any boys who thought twice about looking at his little girl.

A smile formed on his face and it wouldn't leave for the rest of the day. The guys in his platoon kept telling him that he was freaking them out, but he didn't care. He was going to have a baby with the love of his life. Nothing could tear the smile from his face, not even walking through a dessert area with fifty pounds of gear on his back. When they finally reached their destination and set up camp, Finn pulled out his notebook and began writing Rachel a letter.

_Dear Rachel,_

_I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I'm not there to help you with our baby. I can't believe I get to say "Our Baby"! To be honest, I was a little afraid when I first read your letter. After what happened with my dad, I was afraid that something like that might happen to me too. I want to be there for you and for our kid. I don't want to miss anything, but I know that I will. I want you to make a promise. I want you to take pictures all the time and videos too. I want to see what you look like pregnant and I want to see the pictures of the baby while it's in your stomach. _

_I'm planning on saving all of the money I earn while I'm here to start a life for us when I get home. I was talking to the colonel and he said that they offer college classes and pay for them too which is cool. I was thinking of taking some teaching courses or maybe some criminal justice. I don't know yet, but I know that it is something I want to do. _

_I'm glad that Kurt has offered to move in with you. I know that he and Santana will take care of you for me. It's still a little weird knowing that you're living with Santana, but I know that she won't let anything happen to you. She is a good friend, a little on the bitchy side, but loyal. I miss you so much Rachel. I can't wait to see you. I found out that my first leave will be in about five months. I was thinking maybe when we find out for sure when I come home, you could make a doctor's appointment. That way I could see the baby. We can talk about that later though. _

_I love you baby,_

_Finn_

He flipped the page to a blank sheet and began writing another letter. This one to his brother.

_Dear Kurt,_

_Rachel told me about your offer and I can't thank you enough man. I would be freaking out if I thought Rachel was alone. You being there is going to ease my mind so much. How does it feel to be an uncle? I guess it doesn't really feel any different yet, but just the thought of being an uncle could be strange. How are mom and Burt taking the news? Rachel said Burt wasn't too thrilled. I hope he isn't stressing out too much. I know his heart doesn't need the stress. _

_I wanted to tell you and Santana thank you for looking out for Rachel. I really appreciate it. There is something that I wanted to ask you because I can't ask my mom and I don't want Rachel to know because she would worry. I know what can happen while I'm here. I don't want to ever leave my family alone, but it is a possibility that I could get hurt or killed. If that were to happen, I would want you to take care of Rachel and the baby. My mom has Burt, but Rachel doesn't really have anyone except you and Santana right now. _

_I love you bro and I can't wait to see you guys. I miss you all. Please don't let Rachel read this letter. I don't want her to freak out or think that I'm planning on doing something stupid. I made a promise to my mom to keep my head down and come home to you guys and I plan on doing that. I just want to know that Rachel will be taken care of if I can't keep that promise. _

_Love you guys,_

_Finn_

He sealed the letters in their separate envelopes and went to mail them off. His smile had slowly fallen away as he wrote the letter to Kurt, but it had to be done. When he returned to the tent he fell onto his cot and took out a picture of New Directions that he had with him. His extended family was smiling back at him and it helped him to relax. They would be there for him and Rachel no matter what. He fell asleep dreaming about them and their journey together. It was a crazy, drama filled ride, but he wouldn't have traded it for anything.


	10. Reunions

_**I am so sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. I have had a rough couple of weeks, but hopefully things will be better and I will be able to update faster. I'm not sure that I like this chapter, but I wanted to include a few more characters from the show. ** _

_Rachel_

There was a knock at the door and Rachel moved to answer it. Santana was out job hunting with Kurt so she was alone. Before she could open the door the knock sounded again, "I'm coming!" Looking through the peep hole she saw a very familiar blond. Ripping the door open she yelled, "Quinn! What are you doing here!?"

They laughed as they embraced, "I came to see you. Are you going to let me in, or do I have to stand out here all day?"

"Of course, come in!" The two friends made their way to the couch, "How is Yale?"

"It's amazing. I just finished my first week actually. It's a lot different than high school, which I like. How's NYADA?"

Rachel's smile started to fade as she realized that she hadn't told anyone else about the baby, "Oh, um…I deferred my acceptance for a year."

"What!? The whole reason Finn sent you packing was so that you wouldn't do that!" she seemed mad.

"Things have changed. I'm pregnant!"

"Does Finn know?" she asked.

Rachel sighed, "Yes, Finn knows. I had to tell him in a letter because he had already left for Iraq, but he knows and he's happy about it."

"How far along are you?" she asked as she touched Rachel's stomach.

"I'm almost three months. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday."

"You're keeping it right?" by the tone of her voice it sounded more like a demand than a question.

"Of course I'm keeping it! I know how much it hurt you to give up Beth, and I don't think I could handle that. Besides, it's a little piece of Finn. I can't give that up."

Quinn smiled, satisfied with her answer, "Good. So where's Santana?"

"She went with Kurt to go find a job. He moved in to help me with the baby while Finn is away."

"Kurt is living with you too? Isn't it a little cramped in this shoe box?" she asked.

Rachel laughed, "Its fine. Kurt and I are sharing a room which is nice. I felt so alone before and now I have part of my little family here with me. I don't mind the lack of space."

"I'm happy for you Rachel. I thought Finn was an idiot for what he did. He shouldn't have just forced this on you. Not the pregnancy, the New York thing."

"He did what he thought was right even when he knew it would hurt him. I don't blame him. I miss him."

Quinn put her arms around Rachel who reciprocated the hug, "I know you do." They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Quinn asked, "So what are you guys gonna do? Are you together or what?"

Rachel pulled back, "We're together. I'm not really sure what we are going to do in the long run because we haven't really talked about it."

"Have you told your dads?"

"Yes. Both of our parents know and they are going to support us in this. Other than our families and Santana, nobody else knows. Oh, and you of course." Rachel's eyes went wide as she realized what she said, "Do you think you could help me tell everyone? I want to tell everyone personally, not in a text."

Quinn smiled, "I think I know how to tell everyone at the same time." She opened her phone and sent out a text message to all of their friends and then grabbed Rachel's laptop, "We are going to tell them over video chat. At least as many as we can get online at the same time."

Rachel watched Quinn as she set up the video chat. She was so glad to have Quinn here. She had experience with being pregnant. Rachel had so many questions that Santana and Kurt weren't really qualified to answer, but Quinn was. Quinn understood what she was going through and how it felt. The main difference between her and Quinn's situations was the fact that Rachel had the support of her family.

_Kurt_

They walked down the steps leading to the subway. They had filled out so many applications that Kurt's hands felt numb and he had been forced to listen to Santana complain for the last half hour about the lack of prospects. He couldn't wait to get home and disappear into his and Rachel's room. It was much easier to share a room with the little diva than he originally thought it would be.

They took their seats and it wasn't until they heard a familiar voice that Santana stopped talking and hissed. He looked to her and noticed her looking past him. He followed her gaze and his mouth dropped open when he spotted Jesse St. James on the bench kiddy corner from them.

"What brings you two to New York? I heard that you failed your NYADA audition Kurt. I didn't think you would have the nerve to show your face here."

"We live here. What are you doing here?" Kurt asked allowing venom to seep into his voice.

Jesse smirked, "I had an audition today. I wouldn't be surprised to receive a call back by the end of the day."

A smile bloomed on Santana's face, "We've seen your acting skills. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."

Kurt laughed and Jesse narrowed his eyes. The train came to a halt and Jesse left without another word. They both broke out in a fit of laughter that didn't subside until they reached their stop. They reached the apartment and were surprised to see Quinn sitting with Rachel at the table with Rachel's laptop situated in front of them.


	11. New Directions

*I do not own the song which is Mayday Parade's "I swear this time I mean it"*

_Rachel_

The video chat went better than Rachel had expected. Everyone seemed really excited about the baby, and Brittany even volunteered to babysit for her which she graciously declined. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the offer, but Brittany was like a child herself.

She was happy to catch up with her old friends. She learned about the newest additions to New Directions and made sure that she gave Mr. Schue some ideas that he could use to challenge the glee club. He even offered to have her come in and be a special guest one week. It was probably said in jest, but she was seriously considering the offer. She was wanted to visit Lima soon anyways, and this way she could help her friends bring home another National Championship. The more she thought about it, the better the idea was sounding.

_Two Weeks Later_

Rachel moved along the familiar hallways of McKinley High School in a daze. Everywhere she looked was a memory. Passing by the student announcement board she saw a signup sheet for New Directions and thought back to the day she signed up for glee auditions. She found herself at the foot of the staircase where she kissed Finn after the ordeal with Jesse.

She still couldn't believe that Kurt and Santana ran into him in New York. It seemed like she would never be rid of him. She was grateful that she wasn't the one to run into him. The last thing she needed was him harassing her about Finn and hounding her about NYADA. She was happy with her decision and knew that it was the right thing for her and the baby.

She heard laughter coming from the choir room and a smile found its way to her face. She approached the door and after a few steadying breaths, she entered. There were a few squeals of delight and Rachel was enveloped in hug after hug from her glee club family. She even received a hug from Wade "Unique" Adams, who she recognized from Vocal Adrenaline. There were two new faces that Rachel didn't recognize, but Mr. Schue quickly changed that after he got everyone else to calm down and take their seats.

"Most of you remember Rachel, but for those of you who don't, she was one of our star performers who graduated last year. Rachel, these are our newest members Marley and Jake." She gave them a smile and waved. "Rachel will be taking over our lesson this week." There was a round of applause and even a few cat calls from Brittany and Sam to which she blushed and gave a bow.

Mr. Schue took a seat next to Brittany and motioned for Rachel to start, "Hi everyone. I know that most of you are expecting me to focus on Broadway due to my expertise in that area," she smiled at the expected groans, "but I was hoping to try something a little different. New Directions has always been about diversity and that is what gave us the National Championship last year and I would like to continue with that."

"What did you have in mind Rachel?" Mr. Schuester asked.

Her smile grew even wider, "Well, I was inspired by a song that Finn mentioned to me in one of his letters which was really good, even though I don't typically listen to Alternative music. I would like to pose a challenge this week. I want you guys to find a song that you enjoy from a genre that you don't like."

Everyone except Mr. Schue seemed a little confused, "I think you might need to explain a little more, Rachel."

"I mean, that I want you guys to explore different types of music that you wouldn't typically enjoy and find a song that surprises you. Let me demonstrate." She nodded her head and one of the guys started playing the guitar.

_Oh, Florida, please be still tonight_

_Don't disturb this love of mine_

_Look how she's so serene_

_You've gotta help me out_

_And count the stars to form the lines_

_And find the words we'll sing in time_

_I wanna keep her dreaming _

_It's my one wish_

_I won't forget this_

_I'm outdated, Overrated_

_Morning seems so far away_

_So I'll sing a melody_

_And hope to god she's listening _

_Sleeping softly while I sing _

_And I'll be your memories_

_Your lullaby for all the times_

_Hoping that my voice could get it right_

_If luck is on my side tonight_

_My clumsy tongue will make it right _

_And wrists that touch _

_It isn't much, but it's enough_

_To form imaginary lines_

_Forget your scars_

_We'll forget mine_

_The hours change so fast _

_Oh, God, please make this last_

_'Cause I'm outdated, overrated_

_Morning seems so far away_

_So I'll sing a melody_

_And hope to god she's listening _

_Sleeping softly while I sing _

_And I'll be your memories_

_Your lullaby for all the times_

_Hoping that my voice could get it right_

_You could crush me_

_Please don't crush me_

_'Cause, baby, I'm a dreamer for sure_

_And I won't let you down_

_I swear this time I mean it_

_And I'll sing a melody _

_And hope to god she's listening _

_Sleeping softly while I sing _

_And I'll be your memories_

_Your lullaby for all the times_

_Hoping that my voice could get it right_

Everyone clapped and Sugar wiped a tear from her eye, "You never know what you will like until you give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised by this song and have actually started trying to expand my horizons."

"I'm very proud of you Rachel and I think that this is an excellent challenge. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. Does anyone have any questions?"

Tina spoke first, "Who sings that song Rachel? I liked it."

Rachel wasn't the one to answer. Instead, Jake answered her question, "It was Mayday Parade. I don't have that song, but I have some of their other stuff. Here listen." He removed his iPod from his bag and plugged it into a speaker station Mr. Schue kept in the room. "This is '_If you can't live without me, why aren't you dead?' _which is one of my favorites." The song was met with mixed reviews. People like Blaine and Brittany were getting into the song while Tina and Unique were making faces.

Mr. Schue paused the song, "Now do you see why Rachel presented you with this challenge? If you had listened to this song first, would you have bothered listening to the other?"

Tina shook her head, "Probably not."

"Remember when we performed Lady Gaga? The boys were opposed to the idea, but they found a way to participate. There have been songs that each of you were against trying because it wasn't what you normally listened to, but you tried it. If you're afraid to try something new then you'll never grow."

"I look forward to the challenge, though I have an eclectic taste in music, so finding something I don't like will be difficult." Everyone laughed at Artie.

Mr. Schue clapped him on the back, "Do your best. Alright everyone let's get started."

*I hope you all enjoyed Rachel's return to Lima.*


	12. Blow Up

_Rachel_

Rachel walked through the local market filling her basket with groceries and let her mind drift back to the last week in glee club. She really enjoyed some of the songs that the group chose to sing, but the one that impressed her the most was Jake's rendition of 'Broken Road' by Rascal Flatts. Her biggest shock was when she found out that Jake was actually Noah's little brother. He was so much like his brother even though they only met once when Mr. Schue introduced them.

Her thoughts continued to wander and she failed to realize that someone was calling her name until a hand grasped her shoulder. She jumped and let out a yelp before turning to see that it was none other than Jesse St. James. Kurt and Santana told her about their run in with Jesse, but she had forgotten all about it until now.

He flashed his signature smile, "Hello Rachel."

"Jesse, what are you doing here?" The last time she had seen him was at Nationals when he congratulated her and Finn on their engagement.

He gestured to the basket on his arm, "Shopping."

She blushed, "No, I mean in New York. I thought you were directing one of the show choirs in Ohio."

"I decided to follow my dream. I got an audition for a new musical."

"That's right, Kurt told me about that. Did you get it?" she asked.

"They haven't actually called me back yet, but it's only a matter of time." He looked around, "So where is Finn?" The smile that he gave her told Rachel that he already knew.

Her smile faded, "Finn is in Iraq. He's fighting for our country and I couldn't be more proud."

Jesse reached for her hand which she immediately withdrew, "Look Rachel, I know what happened. I know that he left you. I never would have hurt you the way that he did, breaking up with you on the way to the church to get married."

Rachel's eyes narrowed dangerously causing Jesse to take a step back, "Finn did what he thought was best for me! For my dreams! You on the other hand led me on and then you and your friends proceeded to throw raw eggs on me! He didn't try to hurt me, but what you did to me was intentional! It doesn't matter anyway because we are together and are going to have a baby!"

Rachel realized what she said when she saw Jesse's eyes widen to the point that she thought they would fall out. Well, good, it serves him right. She turned to leave and he didn't bother to stop her. She smiled, proud that she finally had the strength to stand up to that jerk. If she was being honest with herself, the hormones probably had a lot to do with her little blow up, but she didn't care. She was going to take the win.

Later that night she decided to write Finn. It usually took anywhere from one to two weeks for letters to make their way to him and she wanted to tell him about her week with the glee club, Noah's brother, and her run in with Jesse. She also had an ultrasound picture to send to him.

_Dearest Finn,_

_I miss you so much and I have so much to tell you! I went back to Lima to help out the glee club for a week. Everywhere I looked I was flooded with memories of you and me and our friends. It was a little emotional, but that might just be the fact that I have a little person in my belly affecting my emotions! Anyways, I sang that song that you mentioned to me. It was a big hit. _

_Also, Noah has a little brother! I met him and he is so much like Noah. He has quite the attitude problem, but I think that Mr. Schue will be able to help him overcome that. The gang said to tell you hi and that they miss you. I gave them your address so that they can write you as well. I hope you don't mind. _

_I ran into Jesse in the grocery store today. He tried to tell me how he never would have hurt me like you did! You would have been proud of me. I yelled at him! I told him that you and I were together and happy and that we were having a baby. I might have also mentioned the fact that he used me and threw raw eggs on me to get my point across. I felt so much better after I left him standing there. It was like a huge weight fell off my shoulders. Now I know why people tell me that I should stand up for myself more!_

_I love you Finn and I can't wait to see you. I wish you were here right now, but since you aren't, I enclosed the ultrasound picture from my appointment. I have about five more weeks before we can find out the sex of the baby. Do you want me to wait to find out until you come to visit or do you want me to find out and tell you? I know that you feel bad about missing out on so much, so I wanted to include you in the decision. _

_I will let you go for now, but remember that I love you. When you're out there I want you to remember to be careful. You have a family that you need to come back to. _

_Love You Always,_

_Rachel_

_Finn – One week Later_

Finn sat on his cot, starring at the ultrasound picture. It was labeled with the position of its head and feet, and he was glad because he would have never guessed. He had just finished his letter to Rachel and handed it over to Jones who takes care of the mail. He was supposed to be packing up because they were moving out tomorrow, but he wasn't ready to put the picture away just yet. It was the first time that it really hit him. He was going to be a father!

He finally folded the picture and placed it in the chest pocket of his jacket. He finished throwing his gear together and lay back on the cot. His time in Iraq had been pretty uneventful so far. There had been one incident, but by the time that he arrived it had been handled. It seemed as though he would be able to keep his promise to his mother and Rachel.

The next morning found Finn and his patrol traveling down an old dirt road near the border of Iraq and Syria when a car coming their direction stopped in the middle of the road, bringing the convoy to a halt. Finn jumped out with the rest of his platoon and aimed their weapons at the vehicle. Their translator began yelling something to the passengers who responded by jumping out of the vehicle and running in the other direction.

"BOMB!" was the last thing that Finn heard before an explosion next to him sent him flying into the desert. There was an excruciating pain in his right leg, but he didn't have time to really register it before his head slammed into a rock and the world slowly faded to black.

*Don't hate me yet*


	13. Just a Dream

_*I guess I am trying to make up for the two weeks that I didn't upload, but here is another chapter. The song is Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood which I do not own. Also, I would like to say thank you to all of my reviewers. I'm sorry that I don't personally reply to each of your reviews, but I do want you to know that I really appreciate them*_

_Rachel_

The warm water soothed her tired skin. She was working part time at the diner on the corner and it felt so nice to wash the smell of greasy cheeseburgers off her skin. Trying to clear her head, a song began to fill her mind. Without realizing what she was doing, she began to sing.

_It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen  
All dressed in white  
Going to the church that night  
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat  
Sixpence in a shoe, something borrowed, something blue  
And when the church doors opened up wide  
She put her veil down  
Trying to hide the tears  
Oh she just couldn't believe it  
She heard trumpets from the military band  
And the flowers fell out of her hand_

Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray  
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt  
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard  
Then they handed her a folded up flag  
And she held on to all she had left of him  
Oh, and what could have been  
And then the guns rang one last shot  
And it felt like a bullet in her heart

Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream

Oh,  
Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
Oh, now I'll never know  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream

Rachel collapsed after she sang the last note. The tears were falling hard down her face and she couldn't stop shaking. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her. If anything happened to Finn, they would let Carole know and she would call Rachel. There was nothing to worry about. She picked herself up off the shower floor and dried her eyes.

When she emerged from the bathroom Kurt and Santana were huddled on the couch watching the news. "Since when do the two of you watch the news?"

Kurt was biting his nails, which was so not like him. Rachel took a seat next to Santana and realized why he looked worried. There was a video showing the wreckage of a bombing in Iraq near the Syrian border. Rachel was so focused on the footage that only certain words like 'devastating' and 'tragedy' were able to seep through to her consciousness.

Her mind started reeling as the words from the song returned. _Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now. _Her hand reached for Santana's, "You don't think…"

Santana shook her head, "I bet Finn's fine. How many thousands of troops do we have over there? Seriously, what are the odds that he happened to be a part of this mess?"

Kurt didn't seem comforted, "You heard what they said, San. There were only a handful of survivors and they are all in critical condition. What if he was there?"

Rachel ran back to the bathroom and vomited. The tears were falling again and this time she couldn't stop them. She knew that the chances of Finn being a part of that squadron were low, but there was still a chance. She was joined by both Kurt and Santana. They sat there on the bathroom floor, not speaking, just thinking about the events they saw and what it could possibly mean for Finn.

_Carole_

Burt hadn't changed the channel since they first showed the bombing, just in case they had anything new to report. Carole's nerves were frayed and she hadn't been able to sleep since she heard. She expected a visit or a call telling her that her son was dead. She considered calling Kurt and Rachel, but she didn't want to worry them. She was probably overreacting, but she couldn't help it.

The phone ringing caused Carole to freeze. It could be anyone, she kept reminding herself. She just stared at the phone, unable to answer it. Finally, she picked up the receiver. Her hand was shaking so bad that it almost didn't make it to her ear, "Hello?"

"_Carole? It's Kurt_."

Relief flooded through her, "Oh thank god. Is everything alright?"

"_Yeah, I was just calling to check on you. Have you seen the news?" _

She closed her eyes and tried to keep her voice steady, "Yes I have."

_"Do you think he's okay?" _The pain in his voice almost broke her, but she needed to be strong for Kurt and for Rachel, who no doubt would be there with him waiting for any news.

"Yes I do. We don't know that he was anywhere near the bombing. For all we know he could be in his barracks right now and we can be worrying over nothing."

_"I know, I just feel so helpless."_

She knew that he would probably scoff at her idea, but she really did think it might help, "You want to help? Maybe you should pray for those soldiers who did die in that explosion and for the few who were lucky enough to make it out of there alive."

She heard his breath catch as he processed her words, "_You know how I feel about that, but I will let Rachel know. I guess it couldn't hurt." _

She smiled and went to answer him when the other line started to beep in her ear, "Honey, someone is trying to call in. I'll call you if I get any information on Finn. Tell Rachel not to worry too much or she could lose the baby. I love you guys."

_"Love you too Carole. Tell my dad hi for me."_

"Will do kiddo." She pushed the flash button, "Hello?"

_"May I speak to Mrs. Hudson-Hummel?" _

Her stomach clenched, "This is Major Phillips. I'm calling in regards to your son Finn Hudson."


	14. Coming Home

_*Okay so this is slightly longer and I'm going to say I'm sorry now. You may cry. The song is R. Kelly's "World's Greatest" which I do not own. Enjoy*_

_Carole_

Carole raced through the airport with Rachel at her side. Burt and Kurt followed behind a few paces. They had been waiting for two weeks to get Finn home and it was finally happening. They were escorted to a hanger and found themselves surrounded by several other military families. Like them, their eyes appeared to be red from crying.

Eventually, pine boxes began appearing from the rear of the plane. Carole's eyes went wide as the families around her stepped forward to collect their loved ones that had not made it home alive. A staircase was brought forth and placed in front of the airplane door in order to unload the few living passengers.

Rachel squeezed Carole and Kurt's hands. She was just as anxious as Carole was. There were several men in their uniforms emerging from the plane, but she had yet to see Finn. Burt placed his and on her shoulders and she leaned into him, closing her eyes. It was Rachel's gasp that caused her eyes to fly open and fix on the door to the plane.

Finn was at the top of the staircase leaning heavily on a pair of crutches. The bottom half of his right pant leg was rolled up and tied in a knot just below his knee. There was a large scar covering his left temple that was still healing. He smiled his crooked grin at them and began his decent towards them.

_Rachel_

She and Carole raced to the foot of the stairs and flew into Finn's arms, nearly knocking him to the ground. He held them close and Rachel could feel Finn's tears dropping onto her head just as hers were staining his shirt. Kurt and Burt joined their little family hug. Rachel would have made room for them to hug Finn, but he refused to let her go.

Eventually they broke apart and Finn removed his arm from around his mother's shoulders in order to place his hand over Rachel's stomach, "Hello little one."

_Finn_

He couldn't believe that he was home. For nearly two weeks, he had been forced to lie in a hospital bed, waiting for them to release him and the others to go home. It felt like forever. Holding Rachel and seeing her little baby bump made him realize that everything that he had gone through was worth it. He may not have cleared his father's name, but he had proven to himself that he was a man worthy of Rachel's love.

"Finn Hudson?" a voice called from behind him. He turned and found himself face to face with an older woman, who appeared to be in her fifties. She had kind eyes and light brown hair that flowed to her shoulders, "I'm Marlene Shaw."

"Billy's mother. It's nice to meet you. I'm so sorry about your son, Mrs. Shaw. He was a good man, and a good soldier."

Her smile was friendly, "Thank you, Finn. He told me about you, said that you reminded him of his brother Charlie. I can see why he thought that."

He blushed, "Thank you ma'am."

"Take care of yourself Finn. For Billy and all the other young men that couldn't come home. You promise me that you won't ever give up." Her eyes landed on Rachel's belly and her and reached out, "May I?" Rachel nodded, "You take care of this baby too."

His tears threatened to render him speechless, but he was able to say a soft, "I promise."

She walked away without another word, and behind her trailed the box containing her son's body. He found his voice and with more strength and determination he whispered, "I promise."

_Santana_

She had been pacing back and forth so long that she had created a trail in the carpet. Kurt had called about twenty minutes ago to tell her that they were on their way. She had been working with Mr. Schue and all of the New Directions members both past and present. They wanted to surprise Finn with a song and it was slow going. Puck had gotten into a fight with his clone, Mercedes' flight was late getting in, and for the first hour all they did was argue about what song to sing. It was Artie who finally chose a song that everyone could agree on, and it was about time too because she was ready to go all Lima Heights on these fools.

Sugar and Artie emerged from backstage, "Everything is set up in the choir room."

"Where's Brit?"

"Her and Mike are going through the routine again with the others. They want it to be perfect."

"Good, now all we need is for Frankenteen to show up and we're set to go."

Ms. Pillsbury came flying through the doors, "They're here!"

Mr. Schue came in through the stage doors followed by the rest of the New Directions who all got into place behind the curtain. When she saw Kurt, Santana got into place in the front of the stage. She wasn't prepared for the shock of seeing Finn. She knew that he had been injured pretty badly, but she didn't know that he was missing part of his leg.

She recovered quickly though, "Hey Finnocence, we got a little surprise for you."

The curtain raised and revealed the entire glee club. Santana went and stood next to Quinn while Mr. Schue took her place, "We wanted to show you how much we respect what you've done and since we will use any excuse to break into song, here you go." Artie replaced Mr. Schue at the front of the stage.

_Yeah,Uhh...  
Uhh...  
Yeah..  
It's the world's greatest, Yo,  
It's the world's greatest, Come on,  
World's Greatest, Ever_

Blaine joined him and began to sing the first verse.__

I am a mountain  
I am a tall tree  
Oh, I am a swift wind  
Sweepin' the country

Blaine's voice was replaced by Puck.

_I am a river  
Down in the valley  
Oh, I am a vision  
And I can see clearly  
If anybody asks u who I am  
Just stand up tall look 'em in the Face and say_

The voices of the glee club blended together and tears began to slide down not only Finn's face, but the faces of his family and friends.__

I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my backs against the ropes  
I can feel it mmm  
I'm the world's greatest

Jake's voice drifted out from the others.__

I am a giant  
I am an eagle  
I am a lion  
Down in the jungle

Sam's voice replaced Jake's for the next part.

_I am a marchin' band  
I am the people  
I am a helpin' hand  
And I am a hero  
If anybody asks u who I am  
Just stand up tall look 'em in the Face and say_

The group was joined by Kurt who made his way to the stage to sing to his brother.

_I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my backs against the ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest_

Santana took the lead for the next part with Mercedes backing her up.__

In the ring of life I'll reign love  
(I will reign)  
And the world will notice a king  
(Oh Yeah)  
When all is darkest, I'll shine a light  
(Shine a light)  
And use a success you'll find in me  
(Me)

Several members were so choked up with tears that they could no longer sing. They continued to do the choreography, but words failed them.__

I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my back's against the ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest

I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my back's against the ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest

I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my back's against the ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest

Mercedes put her strong voice to work to belt out her part.__

It's the greatest  
Can you feel it  
It's the greatest  
Can you feel it

When it was obvious that Tina was going to have a hard time singing her section, Rachel joined her on stage and they sang together.__

I saw the light  
At the end of a tunnel  
Believe in the pot of gold  
At the end of the rainbow  
And faith was right there  
To pull me through, yeah

Marley took over for the sobbing girls to finish the verse.

_Used to be locked doors  
Now I can just walk on through  
Hey, uh, hey, hey, hey  
It's the greatest  
I'm that star up in the sky_

The glee club descended the stairs and enveloped Finn in a hug as they finished the song.__

I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my back's against the ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest 

The music ended and left the entire group crying. When Finn finally found his voice all he could choke out was, "Love you guys."


	15. Celebration

_*Okay here is the next chapter and I just want to say thank you again to all of my reviewers. I'm so glad that you love this story. I hope you weren't disappointed by the last chapter. There seemed to be a resounding silence after that one.*_

_Finn_

They ended up in the choir room which had been decorated with streamers, balloons, and a giant banner that said 'Welcome Home'. Finn knew that his friends were avoiding the subject of his injury, so he was glad when Brittany blurted out, "Finn's leg shrunk."

The expression on everyone's faces was priceless, and Finn couldn't help but laugh which caused them to look at him like he was crazy. He pulled Brit into a hug, "Thank you Brit, but it didn't shrink. They cut it off."

"Can I see?" she asked innocently.

Kurt looked mortified, "Brit! He probably doesn't wanna show you." Santana put her arm around her girlfriend and gave her a reassuring squeeze, all the while glaring at Kurt.

"It's okay Kurt. I would show you, but it still looks pretty bad right now. Maybe after it's had a little time to heal I'll let you see it."

Brittany gave Finn a small smile and Santana nodded thanks to him. Burt's questioning gaze fell on Finn, "Can I talk to you for a minute outside Finn?"

Finn nodded and made his way to the hall with Burt following behind, "What's up?"

Burt stood there for a moment taking in his step son, "Are you okay? I mean with everything that's happened?"

Finn smiled knowing what he was getting at, "I'm okay. Actually, I'm better than okay. I met a lot of guys in the infirmary that were so angry or depressed about getting hurt, but all I could think was that I was so grateful to be alive. Because of this injury, I will get to be in the room with Rachel when she finds out what the baby will be. I will get to hold her hand and help her through labor. I could have easily come home in one of those pine boxes, but I didn't. I've got a chance to live my life and I'm not going to take that for granted."

Tears fell from Burt's eyes as he listened to the man that stood before him. He was no longer the boy who was scared that his father was being replaced. He wasn't the boy that got depressed when he lost out on that football scholarship. He was a man now and Burt couldn't be more proud. He placed his hand on Finn's shoulder, "I'm so proud of you son."

Finn stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Burt pulling him into a hug. He always wanted to hear those words from his father, and today he had. They made their way back into the choir room after Burt had composed himself. There was laughter all around them and Rachel's smiling face caught his attention. She was talking to Mike, Puck, Santana, and Quinn and he decided to join them.

"What do you think it's gonna be?" He heard Puck ask.

"I don't care really. I would be happy with a boy or a girl. I just hope that it has Finn's height." He kissed her cheek and sat in the chair just behind them. "Are you thirsty? They have punch." He just shook his head and she turned back to the conversation.

Puck ignored the others and took the seat next to him, "I can't believe you knocked up Berry, went into the army, and came back with a wicked injury all in less than six months. I'm impressed." Finn rolled his eyes and laughed. He missed Puck and was glad to have him back if only for a little while. "You okay man?" he gestured to Finn's leg.

"I won't be winning any dance contests anytime soon, but I'm okay with that."

Santana jumped on his comment, "You couldn't win a dance contest before your injury Hobbles."

Rachel slapped Santana's arm while everyone else just laughed. It was good to be getting back to normal. He didn't want anyone to act differently around him just because he was hurt. There was only one person who seemed to be having a hard time around Finn, and that was Kurt.

_Kurt_

He sat in the corner of the room with Blaine, not really wanting to celebrate. Kurt had been worrying about Finn ever since he had received the letter asking Kurt to take care of Rachel and the baby if anything happened to him. When Carole called him and told him about Finn getting injured it nearly destroyed him.

Part of him was afraid to be happy about Finn's return. He didn't know what it meant. Obviously, with his injury, they wouldn't call him back into service, but he read about soldiers coming home from war broken. They would become violent or suicidal and he didn't want to come home one day and find Finn dead.

Kurt knew that Blaine was trying to cheer him up. It did help to have him there, but his thoughts were so dark at the moment, not even Blaine's light could chase them away. It wasn't until Finn approached that Blaine excused himself. "Hey little brother, what's wrong?"

Kurt forced a smile, "I'm fine."

Finn slid into the seat Blaine had exited, "You're not fine Kurt. Are you upset that I'm home?" Finn didn't think that was the problem, but who knew.

Kurt's startled expression was answer enough, "Of course I'm not upset that you're home!" He sighed, "I'm upset that you are going to turn out like the soldiers I've been reading about. Some of them turned into monsters and would hurt the people around them, and others killed themselves because they couldn't handle it. I don't want that to happen to you."

Finn just nodded, "I think your dad was worried about that too. I can see why too. One of the guys that was in the bed next to mine was so angry about getting hurt, that he hit one of the doctors with a bed pan. I guess I can understand why he was mad, but I couldn't see taking it out on anyone else. Like I told Burt, I'm just grateful that I made it home. I got a second chance and I don't wanna blow it."

Kurt smiled, "You sound so different. Maybe this is just what you needed."

Finn shrugged, "Maybe."

"Can I ask you a question," Kurt asked sheepishly to which Finn just nodded, "What are you going to do about that? I mean, are you going to be stuck using crutches the rest of your life?"

Finn laughed, "No, I've been signed up for a motorized chair that should be here by the end of the week. They said that I could get a prosthetic after it has healed fully too, but I would have to go through several fittings and physical therapy probably so it will be a few months."

"I still can't believe Brittany wanted to see it."

"Like I said, I don't mind. I would be curious if it was anyone else."

"That is just sick Finn." They both laughed, relieving a lot of stress and tension. Kurt leaned over and gave his brother a hug. He really was happy to have him home.

*Okay so this chapter was kinda sappy, but that's what you get*


	16. The Talk

_*Thank you to Noro for reviewing every chapter. I really appreciate hearing from all of you. Here is the next chapter, enjoy*_

_Rachel_

She was awakened by a stabbing pain in her bladder. Her eyes began to flutter open and she realized how cold she felt. She was sure that Finn had been there when she went to sleep. She pulled herself up and made her way down the hall and into the bathroom. When she was finished she followed the sound of the television downstairs. Sitting on the couch was Finn. He had the news station on, but he wasn't really paying attention. Instead, he was looking through a book on his lap.

She ghosted down the stairs and quietly sat next to him. He broke the silence before she could speak, "Remember this day?" he asked.

She peeked over his arm at the photo album he cradled in his lap. On the page nearest to her was a picture of her and Blaine on stage during opening night of _West Side Story_. She could feel the smile on her face, "Of course I do."

He turned to her for the first time and his smile made her breath catch. She really missed it. He took her hand in his, "This was the day that you helped me realize, that my life wasn't over, that I could have other dreams. I always thought that I was a Lima loser, but you made me realize that I didn't have to be. That I could choose a new dream."

Her smile was sad and she focused her eyes on her lap, "That didn't really work out all that well did it?"

His hand went to her face and gently lifted her chin up so that she would look at him, "Rachel, you gave me the courage to try. I may have failed, and it will happen again, but I'm not afraid of it anymore. I know that you believe in me and that gives me the strength I need to keep trying." His hand dropped from her face to her swollen belly, "And you are giving me another reason to keep trying."

Her smile was accompanied by gentle tears falling from her eyes, "I'm so happy that you're back, and that you're okay. My dream of being in New York isn't complete without you and as much as I love Kurt, he is no replacement for you."

Finn's soft laughter lasted only for a second before he became serious, "I can't come to New York with you Rachel."

Her smile vanished, "What!? Why not?" There were so many more questions that she wanted to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to voice them.

He gripped her hands between his, "Rachel, I love you, and I want to come to New York with you, but I can't right now. My doctor is here…"

"There are doctors in New York. They're probably better there anyway."

He smiled, "Here I have access to the VA hospital where my treatment is paid for. My doctor knows all about my condition and my history. I have my mom here, who is a registered nurse, to take care of me…"

"I could take care of you," she replied quietly.

"I know you could, but until I can get the prosthetic leg and stuff, living in a third floor walk up would be a little hard."

She had to control the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her, "You're not coming with me to New York." It was a statement, not a question.

"I am, but not yet. I will be there for every doctor's appointment you have, and I will look for an apartment for us to share when I am able to move to New York."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Rach. Nothing is going to keep me from you for long."

_Finn_

He knew that Rachel was upset about him not going to New York right away, but he knew that it was for the best. Everything that he needed was here, with the exception of Rachel, and it would be very difficult to try and move right now. He wanted to be with Rachel. He had spent months without her and it took everything that he had to tell her that he couldn't be with her right now.

He lay there holding her, watching her peaceful face, and wishing that he could sleep. There was no reason for him to still be awake, he just couldn't sleep. He took to drawing simple patterns on Rachel's stomach just to have something to do. He wished that he could feel some kind of movement, but according to Rachel, it was too soon.

He couldn't wait until his baby was born. He remembered back to when he thought that Quinn was pregnant with his baby. He was so terrified. In all honesty he was glad that the baby ended up being Puck's. He couldn't have handled having a kid back then. Now, he couldn't wait to be a father. Part of it was the fact that he had grown up, especially these last few months, but the other part was because he was having this baby with Rachel.

Next week Rachel had a doctor's appointment and they would get to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. He didn't really care either way. He was just happy to be here instead of in Iraq. He would get to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. He smiled contentedly as his eyelids began to droop. He fell asleep with an image of Rachel holding their little baby.

_Kurt_

He had a feeling that he knew what was coming. Finn was back which meant that he would be moving in. They couldn't all stay in that tiny apartment. He sighed. He just got a dream job working for Vogue and now he was going to have to find a place to live so that he could keep it. Santana seemed to be thinking the same thing as they locked eyes. Maybe they could just find a new apartment together.

Rachel walked in followed by Finn. Kurt looked at his brother who appeared completely relaxed, if not a little sad. Finn took a seat on his father's old recliner and gestured for Rachel to sit on his lap. Rachel locked eyes with Kurt and broke the silence, "I know that you are wondering what is going to happen with our living situation now that Finn is back." He and Santana nodded their heads, "Well I wanted to let you know that nothing is going to change."

Now Kurt was curious. Why wasn't Finn coming to New York, "What about Finn?"

His brother gave him a sad smile, "I have to stay here for a little while, at least until I'm more mobile. I can't handle the third floor walk up that you guys live in right now. Even when I get the prosthetic leg, I don't think I will be able to live there."

Santana jumped in, "So are you moving back here Berry?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm staying in New York with you guys until Finn is ready to join me. Then we will find a new place to live. Our apartment isn't big enough for all of us," she said while rubbing her stomach.

"We can look into getting a place that we can afford that will fit all of us. I wouldn't mind keeping you guys around for a little while," Finn added with a smirk.

Santana and Kurt exchanged looks before she replied, "We'll have to see how it goes."

Rachel nodded, "That's fair Santana. We can talk about it later if you would like."

Santana rolled her eyes, "If we're done here, I gotta meet Brit."

"Blaine is expecting me to see him before we leave," he added. They got up and moved toward the door. When they were away from Rachel and Finn he asked Santana, "What do you think?" he gestured back the way they came.

"I don't know. I've dealt with Rachel for months now, but I don't think I could handle both of them full time. It makes me sick when they start eating each other's faces," she said with a shudder.

Kurt laughed, but agreed, "Maybe we should talk to Rachel about taking over the lease in the apartment we're in now when she moves out."

Santana eyed him for a second, "Alright, Porcelain. Let's do it."


	17. Boy or Girl

_*Okay so here is the chapter in which we find out what the baby will be. Enjoy and thank you for the nice reviews, all of the follows, and the many favorites. This story probably doesn't have much longer before it ends, just to let you know*_

_Finn_

He sat in the waiting room next to Rachel who was bouncing slightly in her seat. He was excited too, but wanted to be calm for her. Today they would find out the sex of the baby. They could start picking out baby names, although Rachel was pretty set on naming any daughter they had Barbara. It's not like he hated the name, he just wanted to choose a name that they both could agree on.

"Rachel Berry?" the nurse called.

He grabbed his crutches and followed her through the door. They were led to a small room near the end of the hall that had a nice comfortable chair for him to sit and a padded examination table for her. The nurse instructed her to remove her clothing and left to give her some privacy. As she undressed, Finn was reminded of their sophomore year in high school when he went with her to the doctor's office for her throat.

He chuckled, causing Rachel to look at him questioningly, "Sorry Rach, I was just thinking about the last time I went to the doctor with you."

Her face scrunched up while she tried to remember what he was talking about. It only took a minute before she began to laugh as well, "I forgot about that."

There was a knock on the door and the doctor entered the room, "Hello again Rachel. How are you doing today? Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"Hi Dr. Gellar, I'm good. I don't think I have any questions right now. Everything seems to be fine."

Finn raised his hand up, "I was wondering when I would be able to feel the baby move."

The doctor seemed to notice him for the first time, "Oh hello, you must be the baby's father. Finn, right?" he nodded. She shook his hand, "I'm Dr. Gellar. You should be able to feel the baby kicking and moving around really soon."

He smiled, "Cool." Rachel laughed and took his hand in hers.

The doctor began her examination of Rachel and Finn sat there and held her hand. It only took about five minutes before the doctor told Rachel that she can put her legs down, "So are you guys ready to find out what you're having?"

They both anxiously nodded as she pulled over the ultrasound machine. Rachel lifted her shirt and Finn's eyes focused on the small television screen in front of him. He heard the doctor tell Rachel that it would be cold before he heard something being squirted on her stomach. A very fuzzy picture appeared on the screen and he could barely make out the shape of a baby's head.

He couldn't help the tears that began to fall from his eyes. He could hear the doctor as she said, "That's your baby. Now let's see what you're having." The picture began to shift on the screen. He couldn't tell what he was looking at but the doctor began pointing things out to him, "This right here is a leg, and a little arm right there, and…oh, it looks like you have a little man in there."

Finn's smile was so large as he watched the movements of his child on the screen. It was then that he heard the baby's heartbeat. It was faster than he thought it would be, and very strong. This was his baby. He turned to see the look on Rachel's face. He knew that she wanted a girl, but hoped that she would be okay with it being a boy. The smile on her face, and the tears falling silently on her cheeks reassured him that she was happy.

He stroked her cheek with his hand, "A little boy…we're having a little boy."

She grabbed his hand and held it to her cheek, "I love you, Finn."

"I love you too."

_Carole_

She sat with Burt, Kurt, and Santana in the little apartment waiting for Finn and Rachel to call or come home. She wanted to know what her grandbaby was going to be. A knock at the door caused her to jump up, but seeing as how Rachel lived there she would have no reason to knock. Santana opened the door to reveal the Berry's. Hiram and Leroy were standing there with a bouquet of roses and a large stuffed bear.

Hiram rushed in and looked around, "Is Rachel back yet? Do we know what we're having?" It was nice to see her father so excited. It was a pleasant change from his behavior when he first found out.

She took the flowers from him, "No they aren't back yet. We haven't received a phone call or anything so I assume they are still there."

Leroy set the teddy bear next to the vase she had placed the flowers in, "Good, we wanted to be here when she got home."

For the next thirty minutes they sat around trying to guess what the baby would be. Kurt's phone rang several times, different members of the glee club trying to find out if they had heard anything, but other than that it was quiet. Finally, after another twenty minutes the handle on the door jiggled and in walked Rachel followed by a very tired looking Finn. The climb up the stairs must have taken more out of him than they thought it would.

Kurt was the first to pounce on Rachel, "So! What are we having!? Is it a girl? I bet it's a girl!"

"Give her a little room to breathe," Carole scolded before turning to Rachel, "Why don't you have a seat? Would you guys like some water?"

They nodded to her and made their way to the couch. Finn collapsed on the cushion with Rachel gently setting herself right next to him. Hiram grabbed the giant bear from the table and handed it to Rachel, "Your Dad and I got this for you and the baby. We thought it might be good for either a boy or a girl."

Rachel hugged her fathers, "Thank you, it's perfect. I think he'll love it."

The pronoun she used was not lost on anyone as congratulations began to filter from around the room. Kurt was the only one that seemed a little put out, "I wanted a niece, but I guess a nephew could be fun too, as long as he doesn't have his father's fashion sense."

Laughter filled the room and Finn chucked a pillow at his brother. Santana moved to call Brittany and Kurt sent a mass text to the rest of their friends. The happiness was broken a few hours later when they had to leave. She could tell how much it hurt her son to leave Rachel, but she knew that he was right. She hoped they could find a way to make things work.


	18. Fitting

_*I'm sorry for the long wait and the somewhat short chapter. I've been going through some stuff, but I'm back now. This is just a happy chapter to help our story come to a close. There are only a few chapters left. I want to say thank you to my 101 followers, 46 favorites, and all of my reviewers. I really appreciate hearing from you*_

_Finn_

He moved around the room slowly, the prosthetic that he now wore was causing pain in his leg. He knew that it would take some time before he would be able to move around freely, but it was still frustrating. He had been going through physical therapy for the last few weeks, getting himself comfortable with his new appendage. The motorized chair that he finally received was cool, but he wanted to be able to move around on his own again.

When they first finished his prosthetic and he began therapy, he was only able to remain on the new leg for short periods of time, but now he was able to last a couple of hours before the pain got to be too much. His mom was a big help. She would push him and encourage him. Rachel would also give him encouragement over the phone and on her visits. He was trying to get through his therapy as fast as he could so that he could return to her because she was getting to the point where travel was hard.

His doctors told him that he would soon be able to make the move to New York if he wanted. They wanted to keep him around for a couple more weeks for observation, but after that he would be free to go once he found a doctor. He even began looking for a place where he and Rachel would be comfortable. He found a condo that he wanted to check out on Lafontaine Avenue. Between his enlistment bonus and the money that he made while in the army, he could afford the down payment, and the disability that he received would pay for the mortgage. It might be tight, but they could do it. It was a little farther from NYADA than he would like, but they had his truck. She could drive to school, or even take the subway.

They would even have room for Kurt and Santana. It was a four bedroom and there was even a decently ranked school right across the way. He wanted to go and look at it with Rachel before they made any real decisions, but he liked the idea of having a place of their own. He wanted to give his family a home.

_Rachel_

Finn picked her up early on a Monday morning. He said that he had a surprise for her and by the look on his face, it was huge. "Will you please just tell me where we are going? You're not lost are you?"

Finn laughed, "I'm not lost and I'm not telling you where we're going. It's a surprise."

She gave him her best pouty face, "Can you at least give me a hint?"

He turned up the radio and began singing along, doing his best to ignore her begging. She sat back and folded her arms over her chest, resting them on her very large belly. They crossed over into Bronx and she sent him a questioning look. His smile seemed to grow which really made her question this surprise. When they stopped at a red light he handed her a blindfold, "Put this on, okay?"

She took the black piece of fabric, "Do I have to?"

"Please?" he begged.

She sighed and tied the blindfold over her eyes. They continued to drive for a few minutes and finally came to a halt. She heard Finn's door open and close next to her. She reached for the handle, but Finn beat her to it, slowly grabbing her hand and helping her out. They made their way through a door and into an elevator. She could feel the elevator moving and guessed that they were on the second or third floor, but she couldn't be sure.

Another door opened and finally Finn said, "Alright, you can take it off."

She reached up and pulled the fabric from her eyes. They were standing in a decent sized condo with an open floor plan. The view wasn't the greatest, but it was much nicer than her current apartment. The kitchen was larger and had an island in the center. There was a small balcony that overlooked the street, it was barely big enough to hold a chair, but it was still a balcony.

"Come on. I want to show you the rest." Finn held out his hand and grasped hers. She was led through four bedrooms. The master bedroom was the same size as her current room, but the bathroom was a little bigger. The other bedrooms were smaller and there was another full bathroom situated between the smallest bedroom and a linen closet. It was incredible, but there was no way that she could afford this place, and Finn wasn't really able to work due to his injuries.

"This place is beautiful Finn, but we can't afford to rent it."

His smile grew, "Actually we can. We aren't going to rent it. We're going to buy it. I have the money from my enlistment and the money that I made while I was over there to use for the down payment, and I'm getting disability that will cover the monthly payment. I already talked to the realtor and we can afford this. It might be tight, but we can do it. There is even room for Kurt and Santana if they want to come with us. What'd you think?"

She took another look around. He was right. They would have enough space for them, the baby, and their friends. She couldn't ask for anything more. The tears began to fall from her eyes and she blamed her hormones. When she finally turned back to Finn, his face fell. "I'm sorry Rachel. I thought you would like it. We don't have to get it…"

She interrupted him with a soft kiss, "Its perfect Finn." His smile was breathtaking and then she remembered something, "Does this mean that you're moving to New York now?" He nodded and she flew into his arms. "When can we move in?"

"We have to sign the papers. It will be three weeks before we can move in which will give me time to find a doctor here. The realtor is downstairs waiting for our answer."

She took a deep breath, "Let's go sign some papers." He grabbed her up in his arms and spun her around. They made their way downstairs with huge smiles on their faces.


	19. Moving Day

_*Okay so here is the next chapter. For anybody who was wondering, the apartment I mentioned in the last chapter is a real place for sale, although I did take some liberties with how it looked on the inside. Enjoy*_

_Finn_

The movers finished unloading the last of the boxes and left in a hurry. Rachel had been rather frustrating, dictating where she wants the furniture placed and then changing her mind seconds later. They had mountains of boxes that Rachel insisted on going through and putting away today. Finn didn't mind. He was happy that they were doing this. He had to use his motorized chair so that he didn't tire too easily, but something about unpacking their boxes and putting pictures up on the walls made it real. They were really moving into their own home. They were going to be a family.

He was glad that Santana and Kurt decided to stay in Rachel's old apartment. He loved his brother and Santana, but he needed this. He needed to be alone with Rachel and their son when he was born, which would be soon. He needed to prove to himself that he could do this.

He opened one of the boxes labeled 'bedroom' and noticed Rachel's jewelry box and other items that belonged on her vanity. He made his way over to the small dresser and began unloading the items onto the counter. He knew how particular she was about her things and decided that she could set them up however she wanted.

When he turned to grab another box he accidentally knocked over her jewelry box. Necklaces and rings spilled out over the floor and he bent over as best he could in order to clean the mess before she noticed. Luckily, the jewelry box didn't break in the fall. It had been her grandmothers and was the only thing she had left of the woman.

He had to scoot himself to the edge of the seat in order to pick up the small items. He paid no attention to the items he was picking up until he came across a gold band with a small diamond placed in the center. It was the engagement ring he had given to Rachel when he proposed. He ran his fingers over the petite band and slipped it into his pocket. He finished picking up the fallen items and placed them back in their box.

"The kitchen is done. How's it going in here?" Finn turned to see a very tired looking Rachel standing in the doorway.

"I've put away all of our clothes and made the bed. I left the stuff that goes on your vanity alone because I know you like it to be a certain way."

She smiled and sat on his lap, "Thank you." A yawn escaped her lips, "I think we should take a break. I'm too tired to do much more."

Finn rubbed her back, "Why don't you take a nap? I'm gonna go down to the corner store and get us some food, okay?"

She nodded and climbed into bed. Her large belly made it difficult for her to get comfortable, but after a few minutes she fell asleep. Finn slowly made his way out of the bedroom and into the spare room that held his crutches and prosthetic. He slid the appendage on and took a few steps, allowing himself to adjust before walking out the door.

_Rachel_

The sun was dipping low into the sky when she finally opened her eyes. The clock on the wall told her that she had been sleeping for several hours. She groaned and sat up in bed. Slowly, she made her way out of bed and to the door. When she opened it up, she was hit with a mouth watering smell. Instantly, she was starving and waddled as fast as her pregnant belly would allow towards the kitchen. She was greeted with candlelight and soft music. There was a fresh bouquet of roses in the center of the table and next to it was a bucket full of ice that held a bottle of sparkling cider.

Her eyes misted over and tears threatened to fall. She could hear Finn moving around in the kitchen and she made her way towards him. He was dressed in black slacks with a blue button up shirt that made him look incredible. He was standing over the oven, stirring noodles and applying what she assumed was some Alfredo sauce. She could see a fresh salad on the counter next to the refrigerator and a pan with two pieces of chicken breast that were slightly brown and smelled amazing.

He turned to place the sauce pan in the sink and saw her observing him, "You're awake. I was trying to surprise you," he smiled sheepishly.

She couldn't bring herself to speak so she wrapped her hands around his waist and stretched up onto her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss. Looking into his eyes, she could see the love and adoration that he held for her which made it easier to speak, "You did surprise me. This is all so wonderful Finn. I can't believe you did this." The tears that she had been holding in finally escaped and began cascading down her cheeks, "Sorry, hormones."

He laughed and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, "I don't mind as long as they're happy tears."

They sat down at the table and enjoyed the delicious meal that Finn prepared. Rachel even found herself going back for seconds. After they cleaned up the table, Finn grabbed her hand and began slowly dancing around the living room. She was so happy in that moment that nothing could ruin her good mood. It was one of the best nights of her life and was about to get better.

She watched as Finn dropped down onto his good knee and her eyes widened, "Rachel, I love you more than anything else in this world, and I still can't believe that you chose me. I know that I've asked you this before, but with everything that's happened, I thought I would do it again." He took a deep breath, "Rachel, will you marry me?" He seemed to think of something and added, "You know…after the baby is born."

Her tears had returned and were followed by laughter, "Of course I'll marry you Finn." She helped him up and he lifted her off the ground. The first time that he asked her, she wasn't entirely sure about her decision to marry him, but this time, she knew she was making the right choice.


	20. BBQ's and Baby Names

*Sorry for the delay, but my computer crashed. I want to say thank you for your support of this story and putting up with a two week delay. Enjoy*

Carole

They were having a BBQ/baby shower for Finn and Rachel at their home today. The entire backyard was decorated in blue and brown stars since that was the theme Finn and Rachel had picked out for the baby. There were two tables set up, one for presents, and one for food. She had spent the last four hours decorating and cooking with the help of Rachel's father, Hiram, and Kurt. Burt was at the airport picking up Mercedes and Puck, who were flying in from Los Angeles.

The doorbell sounded, alerting them to the guests who were beginning to arrive. Carole opened the door to reveal Quinn, holding a large diaper cake that was decorated with little blue and brown stars. "Oh Quinn, it's beautiful! Where did you get this?"

Quinn set the diaper cake down on the coffee table, "I made it actually, with help from my roommate. It wasn't that hard. She told me about the one she made for her cousin's baby shower and offered to help me with it."

"Rachel is going to love it!"

"Just make sure that Finn doesn't try to eat it first," Quinn said, earning a laugh from the older woman.

For the next thirty minutes guests continued to trickle in. Everyone from the glee club showed up, both old and new. There was some awkwardness between Puck and his brother Jake, but it was resolved fairly quickly with them both choosing to ignore the other's presence.

Carole became anxious when Finn and Rachel still hadn't shown up. They were nearly thirty minutes late when they finally arrived. Carole lept up from her seat on the front porch steps and ran toward the car. After embracing them she led them through the house and out into the backyard where everyone was waiting. They made the rounds, saying hi to all of their friends and family that were gathered, before the women headed into the house for their baby shower.

"I can't believe you guys did all of this! It looks amazing!" Rachel exclaimed.

Carole gave her a soft hug, "It was our pleasure. I can tell you right now though, this child will be very spoiled!"

"So Rachel, have you guys picked out a name yet?" Tina asked.

Rachel sighed, "Not yet. We've been so buys getting our place set up that we haven't really thought about it much. Any suggestions?"

"What about Tobias?" Brittany asked.

"There is no way in hell you are naming my nephew Tobias!" Kurt shreaked.

"How about Matthew? That's a normal name," Emma offered.

"That's so plain! What about Ashton? Like, Ashton Kutcher!" Sugar suggested.

Rachel laughed, "I'm not naming my son after Ashton Kutcher."

"I agree with Rachel. We're not naming our son Ashton," everyone turned to see Finn coming through the sliding glass door, "Puck had a suggestion though..."

Rachel cut him off, "I am not naming our son after Noah!" Everyone broke out in laughter.

Finn chuckled and sat next to Rachel on the couch, "No, his suggestion was Ethan."

All of the ladies contemplated the name for a minute. "I kinda like it. Ethan Hudson. I still want to find a few more options, but that is one to consider."

Finn kissed Rachel on the top of the head before getting back up, "Well, I'll see if any of the other guys have any suggestions."

They watched him go before returning to their conversation. Mercedes suggested Logan, Tina offered Sean, Marley said Ryder, and all of Santana's suggestions were inappropriate. Carole noticed Rachel kept shifting and putting her hand to her stomach, "Are you alright honey?"

Rachel gave a stiff smile and nodded, "The baby is just kicking a lot right now. It's a little uncomfortable."

Carole moved closer to her, "You're getting really close. Just a couple more weeks and he'll be here."

Rachel gave her a genuine smile, but it only lasted a moment. All of a sudden she doubled over and winced in pain, getting the attention of everyone else who had been too enthralled in trying to find a baby name. "Rach, you okay?" Kurt asked.

"Rachel, what exactly are you feeling right now?" Carole asked.

She sat up slowly and answered, "It kinda felt like a cramp, but there was also this shooting pain in my side."

Carole got up immediately, "Kurt, go get your brother. Rachel, I want you to stand up for a minute."

Rachel did as she was told and a gasp from Tina drew their attention, "I think her water broke."

Carole watched as Rachel began to panic, "I can't be having the baby now! It's too soon! I'm supposed to be in New York! My doctor is in New York! I can't do this!"

Carole forced Rachel to look at her, "Rachel, calm down. We're going to get you to the hospital okay? Everything will be okay."

Finn rushed into the house, "What's wrong? Rachel?"

"I think we're having a baby," Carole answered.

"Oh...OH! Okay! I've got the bag in the car. Do you need me to carry you?" He turned to his mother, "Should I carry her?"

She laughed, "No, just help her to the car."

Finn put his hand under her left arm while his mother held onto her right. The rest of the men were filing into the house just as the front door was closing. Puck looked around at all of the shocked face, "Did we miss something?"

Quinn

It wasn't her first time in the hospital for the delivery of a baby, except this time she was in the waiting room and not the delivery room. She now knew how everyone else felt when she went into labor with Beth. She looked up to see Puck seated across from her. He was looking back at her and they shared a smile. She had a feeling that his thoughts were pretty similar to hers at that moment.

They were there for nearly six hours before Finn emerged from the delivery room. He had a big, goofy grin on his face and she lept up at the same time as everyone else, eager for news on Rachel and the baby. "Well?" she asked rather impatiently.

"I have a little boy. He's 6 1/2 pounds, 21 inches long, and perfectly healthy. Rachel is fine, they're stitching her up right now." He looked back the way he came, "I've gotta get back in there, but I'll come and get you when you can see her."

Quinn couldn't help but smile. She knew what Rachel had gone through and was glad that her friend was okay. She felt an arm around her shoulder and turned to see Puck at her side. She didn't need to say anything at that moment. She simply lay her head on his shoulder and embraced him back.

*Okay, so I want opinions/suggestions on baby names. I had a really good name picked out, but I forgot to write it down and now I can't think of it to save my life, so any help would be appreciated.*


	21. Family

*Basically this is a fluffy filler chapter. There is probably only going to be one more chapter after this and that will be the wedding. Thank you all for the reviews so far. Enjoy. P.S. The song is My Precious One from Celine Dion which I don't own.*

Finn

Finn stood in front of the vending machine, not really looking at anything. When he left the room to get a drink, Rachel had been feeding their son. He couldn't believe that he was a father now. They had a son! For his entire life, he felt like he would never amount to anything, that he would become a Lima loser. It wasn't until Rachel showed up that he felt he had a chance.

He had come a long way from the meathead jock that he was in sophomore year. He helped the glee club win a national championship, joined the army, nearly been killed, moved to New York, become a father, and soon he would be marrying the girl he loved. He had never expected to fall in love with the geeky glee club girl, but now he couldn't imagine his life without her.

He realized that he had been gone for a little while and quickly grabbed his soda. He said hi to a few of the nurses that had been checking in on his way back to their room. He stopped right outside the door way when he heard Rachel's soft voice singing.

My precious one, my tiny one, lay down your pretty head.  
My dearest one, my sleepy one, its time to go to bed.

My precious one, my darling one don't let your lashes weep.  
My cherished one my weary one it's time to go to sleep.

Just bow your head and give your cares to me.  
Just close your eyes and fall into the sweetest dream, cause in my loving arms.  
Your safe as you will ever be so hush my dear and sleep.

And in your dreams you'll ride on angels wings.  
Dance with the stars and touch the face of god  
And if you should awake I'll send you back to sleep.

My precious one, my tiny one, I'll kiss your little cheek  
And underneath the smiling moon I'll sing you back to sleep

Finn entered the room as she finished the song, "He's a lucky little guy."

Rachel turned to him and smiled, "Yes he is, but he still needs a name. I was thinking we could name him Christopher after your father. He's the reason you went into the Army. This can be our way of honoring him."

Finn leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead, "You would be okay with that?"

"Of course, Finn. I love you," she replied simply.

"I love that you are willing to do that, but why don't we use Christopher as a middle name? I want our son to have his own identity. I don't want him to feel like he has to live up to anything."

She smiled and stroked their son's cheek, "Well then, what should his first name be?"

"I kinda liked Puck's suggestion. At least it was something we could agree on."

Rachel chuckled softly, "He has a way with baby names doesn't he? First Beth, and now Ethan. Although, he did suggest naming Beth 'Jack Daniels' first so his judgement might not be the best."

Finn laughed remembering the scene between Puck and Quinn over that one, "So we're agreed then? Ethan Christopher Hudson?" She nodded and gave a yawn. Finn slid Ethan out of her arms and placed him in his basket. He returned to Rachel and gave her a soft kiss, "Get some sleep love. You have some people who want to visit you later."

Rachel

She awoke a couple of hours later to find her family and friends passing Ethan back and forth and trying to be quiet. Puck had just taken him from Mercedes, "Its a good thing you look like your mama little man, cause your daddy got beat down with the ugly stick!"

"Hey!" Finn moved to slap his friend, but refrained because of the baby.

"I think he does look like his daddy, who is very handsome."

Everyone turned to look at her, "Hey there mama. How ya feeling?" Santana asked.

"Tired, but good. I can't wait to go home."

Finn helped her into a sitting position, "Well doctor Gellar came in while you were asleep. She said that you guys should be able to go home tomorrow."

Hiram came over and stroked her cheek, "You did a wonderful job sweetie. He is absolutely perfect."

"Thank you daddy."

Leroy took Ethan from Puck, "He really is beautiful honey. The only thing that could make this any more perfect would be if you two were married," he said while shooting a pointed look towards Finn.

"Oh, dad...about that..." she began.

"I already asked her to marry me. A few weeks ago actually. We were going to tell everyone at the Barbeque, but Ethan decided to come a little early."

Congratulations were bandied around and Kurt squealed with joy. He started talking a mile a minute about wedding plans and color schemes. It took Santana smacking him to shut him up which caused a laugh from the spectators. "What was that for!?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "You're annoying as hell, that's what that was for! They just had the baby and you're talking about a wedding. Let them settle in first."

"Santana's right. Besides, I need time to plan a kick ass bachelor party," Puck added.

One of the nurses came and collected Ethan soon after so that Rachel could get some rest and the group started disbanding. She loved having everyone there, but she was happy to see them leave. She scooted over as much as she could in the bed, allowing Finn to lay down with her. He hadn't gotten much sleep the last few days either and soon they fell into a blissful sleep.


	22. Wedding Day

*Okay, so here is the final chapter and I'm a little sad to see it end, but I think its time. I want to thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. It means a lot to me. And now, here is the final chapter of Unexpected Life, Enjoy*

_Six Months Later_

_Rachel_

She stood in front of the mirror admiring the beautiful dress that Kurt designed for her. It was fitted at the top with net illusion cap sleeves, beaded lace that adorned the bodice and skirt hem, and a chapel train. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant up do with a silver tiara that held her veil and a few loose strands that were curled to frame her face.

She still couldn't believe that she was finally going to marry Finn. Originally, they were going to have a small wedding in front of the justice of the peace, but their parents insisted on paying for an actual wedding. They said it was because they hadn't really supported their first engagement and wanted to make it up to her and Finn. Thanks to Kurt, it wasn't going to be that expensive.

Rachel smiled as she watched Santana approach her in her baby blue bridesmaid dress. It was strapless with a flowing skirt. Her hair was half up with the rest cascading down her back. "You look beautiful Santana."

"You know it." Rachel rolled her eyes and Santana continued, "You look beautiful too Hobbit, but if you tell anyone I said that I will kill you." The two women laughed and Rachel pulled her in for a hug. She couldn't believe that the girl who had given her hell for most of her high school career was now one of her best friends and maid of honor. She would have had Kurt by her side, but Finn insisted he be best man.

"Where are the others?" Rachel asked, looking around the room.

"They're all downstairs putting on the finishing touches. Kurt wants everything to be perfect."

Rachel laughed. Kurt had done so much for this wedding. He got his boss to help him with the dresses and tuxes by offering to film them in the wedding and giving permission for the footage to be used on the site. That alone saved them thousands of dollars and she was able to wear one of the most beautiful designer dresses she had ever seen. "I can't wait to see it. Knowing Kurt, it's going to be fantastic!"

_Finn_

He kept expecting to be nervous, but all he could think about was how excited he was. Their last attempt down the aisle hadn't gone very well, but he was determined to make this the best day of their lives. He even made sure that everyone had gotten here safely so that they didn't have a repeat of what happened to Quinn.

There was a knock on the door and Burt stuck his head in, "You almost ready?"

Finn couldn't help but laugh, "I've been ready."

His step-father entered the room and sat in a leather chair near the door, "I'm proud of you Finn, and I think your dad would be proud of you too."

Finn's eyes met Burt's and he gave the man a genuine smile, "Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

Burt nodded and pulled something out of his pocket, "There's something I wanted to give you. It was my fathers," Burt handed Finn the box that he was holding. Inside was a silver pocket watch with gold accents.

"Wow…I can't take this. Shouldn't you give it to Kurt or something?"

Burt smiled, "I talked to Kurt and he agreed that you should have it." Before Finn could say anything else Burt stood, "Come on son, time to get hitched." Finn pulled the watch out and connected it to the inside of his jacket so that it would be safe. He could see the tears beginning to form in Burt's eyes at the action and stepped up to give him a hug. Together they made their way downstairs where Finn would finally say I do.

_Carole_

Carole sat in the front row with Burt by her side, watching as Kurt fixed Finn's tie for the third time. She still couldn't believe that her baby was getting married, but she was glad that he was marrying Rachel. Finn had been so lost before she came into his life, and now he had become the man she always knew he could be. The ceremony hadn't even started yet and she had tears falling from her eyes.

Music began to play and she turned to see Santana gliding down the aisle with a smirk on her face, which for her was as close to a smile as they were going to get. Next came her eleven year old niece Rebecca walking towards her in a baby blue dress, throwing white rose petals down in preparation for Rachel's grand entrance. When the music changed, everyone in the church got to their feet. Rachel appeared with both Hiram and Leroy flanking her and Carole's tears intensified. Rachel had always been a beautiful girl, but now she was simply breathtaking. She turned to look at her son's face which was lit up like a little kid at Christmas. There were oohs and aahs throughout the church and Rachel's face flushed.

When Rachel finally made it to Finn and the crowd was seated once more the minister began, "We are gathered today to rejoice in the union of Finn and Rachel. I have been asked to recite a passage chosen by our bride from 1 Corinthians: Love is patient and kind, it is never jealous, love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offence, nor is it resentful. Love takes no pleasure in others' sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. There are three things that last, faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love." Carole couldn't hold back the sobs that were escaping her now. She told Rachel that that was her favorite verse from the bible and it meant so much to her that she decided to use it in their wedding. The minister continued, "Finn and Rachel would like to recite their own vows."

He gestured to Finn who took Rachel's left hand in his, "Rachel, I truly feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I have been lucky enough to find a woman who challenges me, loves me without question, and is always there to help me through every obstacle I have ever had to face. You have been my inspiration and I couldn't imagine living my life without you. I love you Rachel."

Rachel had to wipe the tears that were falling from her eyes. After taking a moment she cleared her throat so that she could speak and began, "Finn, you make me so happy. When we first met, I was so focused on my dreams that I didn't even realize how lonely I was. You came into my life and showed me what it was like to love someone. You taught me that it was okay to take a step back, that I didn't have to always be the star. You taught me how to be a friend and how to care about others before myself. I am so grateful for everything you do for me and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."

Carole saw a tear roll down Finn's cheek, and turned to see tears streaming down Burt's face. The minister began again, "May we have the rings?" Puck stood up with baby Ethan who was holding a little pillow. The rings were in Puck's pocket of course, but Finn and Rachel really wanted Ethan to feel included. Once Finn had the ring in his hand the minister gestured for him to start.

Finn looked deep into her eyes:

_"With this ring,_

_I give you my promise that from this day forward, _

_you shall not walk alone._

_May my heart be your shelter_

_And my arms be your home._

_May God bless you always._

_May we talk together through all things._

_May you feel deeply loved, for indeed you are._

_May you always see your innocence in my eyes._

_I give you my heart._

_I have no greater gift to give._

_I promise I shall always do my best._

_I feel so honored to call you my wife._

_I feel so pleased to call you mine._

_May we feel this joy forever._

_I thank God._

_I thank you and I love you."_

Rachel cleared her throat once more and began:

_"With this ring,_

_I give you my promise that from this day forward, _

_you shall not walk alone._

_May my heart be your shelter_

_And my arms be your home._

_May God bless you always._

_May we talk together through all things._

_May you feel deeply loved, for indeed you are."_

Her voice cracked and she had to take a deep breath before beginning again:

_"May you always see your innocence in my eyes._

_I give you my heart._

_I have no greater gift to give._

_I promise I shall always do my best._

_I feel so honored to call you my husband._

_I feel so pleased to call you mine._

_May we feel this joy forever._

_I thank God._

_I thank you and I love you."_

The minister closed his bible, "By the power vested in me by the state of Ohio I pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Finn pulled Rachel in for a gentle kiss that soon deepened, earning cat calls from their friends. When they broke apart they were laughing.

_Rachel_

She watched Puck stepped onto the little stage in the reception hall with Kurt, Artie, Sam, and Blaine. She turned to Finn who winked at her and held out his hand as music started to play in the background.

_Yeah…Yeah…Oooh…_

Sam took the lead to start:

_I open my eyes_

_ I see your face_

_ I cannot hide, I can't erase_

_ The way you make me feel inside_

_ You complete me_

_ Girl that's why_

_Somethin' about you makes me feel_

_ Baby my heart wants to reveal_

_ I'm down on my knees_

_ I'm asking you_

_ These three words I want to hear from you_

All of the boys joined in:

_Yes I will_

_ Take your hand and walk with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ It's these three words that promise to_

_ Yes I will_

_ Give you everything you need_

_ And someday start a family with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Take your hand and walk with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Baby I promise you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Give you everything you need_

_ And someday start a family with you (a family)_

_ Oh yes I will (oh baby)_

Puck started the next verse:

_This is no ordinary love_

_ And I can never have enough (I can't enough of)_

_ Of all the things you've given to me_

_ You're my heart, my soul, my everything_

Rachel's tears had begun anew as she pulled Finn closer as they danced their first dance.

_Every night I thank you lord (I thank you lord)_

_ For giving me the strength _

_To love her more and more_

_ Each day I promise her _

_As long as I hear those three words_

The boys voices blended together perfectly:

_Yes I will_

_ Take your hand and walk with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ It's these three words that promise to_

_ Yes I will_

_ Give you everything you need_

_ And someday start a family with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Take your hand and walk with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Baby I promise you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Give you everything you need_

_ And someday start a family with you (a family)_

_ Oh yes I will (oh baby)_

Puck continued:

_I stand beside you_

_ In everything you do (yes I do)_

_ Wherever you go_

_ Whatever you do_

_ Baby I'll be there_

_ Oh baby I'll be there (I'll be there for you)_

Blaine took over:

_As God as my witness (God as my witness)_

_ I will carry this through (I will carry this through)_

_ To kept to what's promised_

_ What's promised to you_

_ (I promised you)_

All five boys came together to finish the song off:

_Yes I will_

_ Take your hand and walk with you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Baby baby baby I promise you_

_ Yes I will_

_ Give you everything you need_

_ And start a family with you (oh I will)_

_ Yes I will (oh yeah)_

_ Yes I will (oh yeah)_

_ Yes I will _

_I promise you_

_ That everything's gonna be alright (it's gonna be alright)_

_ I will_

There was thunderous applause as the song came to an end. Rachel was so overcome with emotion that she leapt on stage and began hugging her friends. The rest of the evening went by so quickly that before she knew it she was in the limo, heading to the airport. Her fathers had paid for them to have a small honeymoon in Florida. Carole, Burt, and her fathers had even fought over who would watch Ethan while they were away before deciding that they would split the time. It all seemed a little surreal to her. She was married! She lay her head on Finn's shoulder and released a contented sigh.

Finn's voice broke through her reverie, "Is this at all what you expected from your life?"

She laughed, "Not at all, but I think that's the best part. Ever since I was a little girl I had a plan for my life and nothing has worked out the way I expected, but that's what makes it so amazing. I wouldn't change anything."

He kissed her lightly on the lips, "Me either."

**The song is Yes I will from the Backstreet Boys which I don't own. I also don't own the bible which is where the verse from 1 Corinthians came from.**


	23. Five Years Later

_**Hello everyone! So I thought that I was done with this story, but apparently I wanted to see where they ended up. Here is a little look into the future. Enjoy**_

_Rachel_

Rachel stood in front of the mirror starring at the counter. It has been a crazy couple of years. After Ethan's birth, she finally accepted her entrance into NYADA. It was difficult at first, trying to balance motherhood with her schooling, but Finn was amazing with Ethan. At first, she was afraid that going to school would cause her to miss out on Ethan's childhood, but she didn't need to worry about that. Finn would bring him to the campus during her lunch periods and would sometimes surprise her in between classes as well. She had to work hard to keep up with classes and the performances that she was awarded, but it was all worth it.

It was her performance in the winter showcase her junior year that caught the attention of Alec McCarty, a very in demand Broadway director. He offered her a small role in his production of _Rent_ which eventually led to her taking over the role of Maureen Johnson. It wasn't her ideal role, but she was happy to be on Broadway at all, especially since she was still in school. Her graduation had led to her landing the role she had been dreaming of for years, Fanny Brice in _Funny Girl. _

Finn had been really supportive of her over the years, but it wasn't always easy. When Ethan was nearly a year old, Finn became restless. He loved being a stay at home dad, but it became apparent that he wanted something more to do. It put a strain on their relationship until Kurt talked him into taking online courses. It ended up being what he needed. Rachel would take care of Ethan at night while Finn worked on school and they finally found a good balance. He even began giving drum lessons to some of the local kids which gave him a small income. Teaching seemed to come naturally to Finn and it made Rachel happy to know that he was doing something that he loved.

She still kept in touch with some of her glee club friends, but other than Kurt, Santana, Quinn, and Puck, it was mostly through facebook or watching their careers in print. Mercedes was touring a lot since her record went platinum. Artie ended up at UCLA after he graduated and last she heard he was working as an assistant to some small time director. Tina was working toward her doctorate in psychology at Berkeley. Brittney and Santana ended up breaking up when Brittney moved to L.A. The others were scattered across the country and it was hard to keep track of them all.

Quinn has been working hard on her law degree, and got engaged to her longtime boyfriend a few months ago. Puck moved to New York two years ago to try his hand at play writing, but ended up starting a band instead. They play at a local bar where he works part-time as a bartender. Blaine, Kurt, and Santana are all living together on the Upper East Side. Kurt's internship at Vogue has led to a wonderful career in fashion. He is a fashion reporter, but is currently working on launching his own line with Blaine. Santana is starring in an off Broadway production of _West Side Story _that is earning rave reviews.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of little feet rushing past her door followed by her husbands louder steps. The sound drew her from the room she shared with Finn and pulled her in the direction of their son's room. Laughter could be heard coming from the door that was left slightly ajar and she peeked inside at her boys.

Ethan was squirming on his twin bed with Finn looming over him, tickling his sides. It was a common sight and it always made her giggle to see them at play. "Daddy! Stop!" Finn's hands stilled and the laughter turned to light giggles.

Rachel could see Finn trying to put on a firm face, "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you to do something."

Ethan crawled onto Finn's lap, "I will daddy." Rachel was about to push the door open and announce her presence when Ethan's voice quieted, "Daddy? Bobby said that you're part robot because you have a metal leg. Is that true?" Rachel stilled. Ethan had never questioned them about Finn's prosthetic before and she was worried that it might make Finn uncomfortable. She didn't have anything to worry about.

His laughter was strong as he answered their son, "No buddy, I'm not part robot. I was in the Army while mommy was pregnant with you and I ended up getting hurt. The metal part of my leg helps me to walk."

Ethan's voice was timid as he asked another question, "Does it still hurt?"

Finn cuddled him closer as he answered, "Sometimes, but it doesn't hurt much."

She must have made a sound because Finn's eyes flew to hers and he gave her a bright smile. Pushing the door in she joined them, "Is this a private party, or can I join?"

"Hi, mommy. We were having a man talk, right daddy?"

Finn pressed his knuckled lightly into their son's hair and gently rubbed, "Right buddy."

"Well, it's time to get ready for bed, buddy. Did you want me or your daddy to read your bedtime story tonight?" she questioned.

He seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment, "Can daddy read to me tonight? I want him to read the three billy goats gruff and he does the voices the best."

"Alright sweetheart. Why don't you brush your teeth and get your pajamas on and daddy can read your story?"

Ethan nodded his little head and moved to hug her on his way to the bathroom, "I love you mommy. Good night."

She squeezed him gently, "I love you too. Good night, buddy."

Finn lightly pecked her lips when he moved to follow Ethan. She decided to wait for him in their room while he put their son to bed. She was a little nervous about her news, but she knew that everything would be okay. It didn't take long before her husband entered their room with a content smile on his face. She really hoped that she wouldn't ruin it.

He collapsed on the bed next to her causing her to giggle. "Finally got him to sleep. Just think, in a few weeks he'll be starting kindergarten. Does it seem like time is flying by a little too fast to you?"

She sighed, "Yes, it does."

His hands covered her own which she had been nervously wringing. He stared up at her questioningly, "Is everything alright, Rach?"

She couldn't sit still anymore so she got up and began pacing, "Everything is fine, well, I think it's fine. I know that Ethan is finally starting school, and it's probably really bad timing, but..."

He sat up and stopped her pacing by gently grabbing her hips and pulling her to him, "Can you please tell me what is going on?"

She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her strength, "Finn, I'm pregnant."

It seemed to take a moment for her words to register, but when they did a smile broke out on his face and before she knew what was happening, she was being twirled around in the air. Her answering smile was so wide it was almost painful, but she didn't care. "We're going to have another baby!?" He pulled her in, kissing her hard for just a moment before breaking away again, "I love you so much."

Happy tears were falling and her voice was a little watery when she replied, "I love you too." She stared deep into his eyes and asked a question that she was sure she knew the answer to, but wanted to hear him say it anyway, "So you're happy?"

He sat back down on the bed, once again pulling her toward him so that he could kiss her flat stomach, "I'm so happy." He gently kissed her belly before whispering, "Hi, baby."

Her life really hadn't turned out the way she always dreamed, but she had to admit that it was so much better than she could have ever hoped for. She had a loving husband, a wonderful son, amazing friends, a career on Broadway (which had always been a part of the plan), and soon she would have another baby to love. If there was one thing that her life had taught her, it was that dreams were selfish desires. They are good to have because they give you something to reach for, but you need to be open to life's little detours.


End file.
